A bipartisan group of senators reintroduced a bill Wednesday to increase pressure on Russia through strong sanctions in the face of what they call “Kremlin aggression” toward the U.S. and its allies.
Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., co-signed the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act which “seeks to increase economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on the Russian Federation” for it’s interference in democratic processes and recent actions in Syria and Ukraine.
The bill was first introduced in the Senate in August but failed to pass. It sought to stop the U.S. from backing out of its membership to NATO by requiring a two-thirds vote of approval in the Senate to do so.
The re-introduced legislation does that and more. It also puts harsher sanctions on Russia, proposed in response to President Trump’s “willful paralysis in the face of Kremlin aggression” which “has reached a boiling point in Congress,” said Menendez, who is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Trump has long faced criticism from Democrats for what they say is a cozy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has repeatedly claimed to have been “far tougher” on Russia “than any other president.”
The two leaders were due to meet last at the G-20 summit in Argentina in November, but an official meeting was canceled after the Russian military seized Ukrainian ships and sailors. The two leaders did, however, have an “informal conversation.”
U.S. lawmakers and officials have condemned Russia for it’s support of the Assad regime in Syria, where U.S. forces currently hold control, and its refusal to return Crimea to Ukraine — a territory it continues to occupy even in the face of existing U.S. sanctions.
The new version of the bill seeks to implement a “requirement for the Secretary of State to submit a determination of whether the Russian Federation meets the criteria for designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.” It would put sanctions on Russian banks which support efforts to interfere in foreign elections, the country’s cyber sector and sovereign debt, as well as political figures and related individuals accused of facilitating “illicit and corrupt activities, directly or indirectly, on behalf of Vladimir Putin.”
“The sanctions and other measures contained in this bill are the most hard-hitting ever imposed – and a direct result of Putin’s continued desire to undermine American democracy,” Graham said. “Our goal is to change the status quo.”
The bill also issues a “strong statement of support for NATO,” members of which Trump has routinely criticized for their financial contributions, and allows for expediting defense articles to reduce “NATO countries’ dependence on Russian military equipment.”
DASKA further provides for a “report on the net worth and assets of Vladimir Putin” with the intention to allow the U.S. to “punish the Russian government for chemical weapons production and use.”
“This legislation builds on previous efforts in Congress to hold Russia accountable for its bellicose behavior against the United States and its determination to destabilize our global world order,” Shaheen said. “I urge Senate Leadership to move swiftly on this legislation, and I’ll keep working across the aisle to prioritize measures that safeguard our nation from adversaries who threaten our democracy.”
