Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday evening praised Congress for agreeing to include sanctions against Russia in a bill sanctioning Iran over ballistic missile testing.
“By codifying existing sanctions and requiring Congressional review of any decision to weaken or lift them, we are ensuring that the United States continues to punish President Putin for his reckless and destabilizing actions,” Schumer said in a statement. “These additional sanctions will also send a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia and any other country who might try to interfere in our elections that they will be punished.”
The Senate voted last Wednesday to advance the measure. Following the vote, a bipartisan group of senators worked to add an amendment on Russia as retribution for the country’s attempt to interfere in the U.S. election last year. The sanctions would codify into law the sanctions former President Barack Obama imposed in January against 35 Russian diplomats residing in the U.S.
“I want to thank my Republican and Democratic colleagues for putting party aside and doing what’s best for the country, and hope this agreement quickly passes both the House and Senate and is signed into law by the President,” Schumer added.
A vote on the bill could come as soon as this week. Democrats had said they would block the bill if it did not include language on Russia.
