The House overwhelmingly approved a resolution Thursday disapproving of President Trump’s plan to lift sanctions on three Russian companies.
More than 130 Republicans joined Democrats to pass the measure, which many will see as a rebuke of the Trump administration.
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The House-passed measure, despite the robust support, faces little chance of consideration in the Senate. The 362-53 vote came a day after Republicans blocked a Senate bill authored by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that would have prevented the Trump administration from lifting the sanctions.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had been lobbying Republicans not to try to block the sanctions relief, which he said follows the law and was carefully negotiated.
The three companies had been linked to sanctioned oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Deripaska has turned over his involvement to a charity, which the Trump administration believes is enough to clear the company of his involvement and lift the sanctions.
But critical Republicans point out that Deripaska is still tied to the charity.
Democrats denounced the move to lift sanctions on anything tied to Deripaska.
“He has been investigated for money laundering and has been accused of threatening the lives of business rivals, illegal wiretapping of a government official, extortion, organized crime, and racketeering,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said. “This is the man you want to lift sanctions on?”
