The Trump administration’s decision to expel dozens of Russian intelligence officers from the United States earned bipartisan approval this week, with some of the president’s toughest congressional critics praising the move while calling for further action.
Trump’s order forced the expulsion of 60 Russian officials, including 12 United Nations-based operatives, and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, in response to the Kremlin’s alleged attempt to poison a former Russian spy on British soil. One administration official described the early March incident “an attack on America’s closest ally” that put countless lives at risk. Canada and 14 European Union member states also said they would expel Russian officials, in a coordinated punishment.
The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, described the moves as a necessary response to the Kremlin’s “continued brazen actions.” “These measures, taken in concert with other nations, send an important signal of our solidarity with our closest ally, and may help deter further Russian aggression,” he said.
Schiff’s Senate counterpart, Mark Warner, also commended the effort and urged the U.S. to maintain pressure “until Russia gets the message.”
The Administration has done the right thing in supporting our British allies. We cannot tolerate Russian aggression like this brazen chemical weapons attack on British soil. The US and our allies should keep up the pressure until Russia gets the message. https://t.co/7VS0TbpAcx
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) March 26, 2018
The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, meanwhile, said the expulsions were the “right thing to do” and described the international response as a “welcome demonstration of Western unity and solidarity.” But Engel said the administration’s strong response to Russia’s attack in the United Kingdom “makes even more bizarre” its tepid response to continuing election interference on U.S. soil.
“President Trump hasn’t done nearly enough to respond to Russia’s attack on American democracy, or to prevent it from happening again. Instead, the President praises Putin at every turn,” Engel said. “It’s good that the United States is standing with our ally in this matter. But we also need the Trump administration to stand up for our own democracy.”
Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to improve relations with Russia and cooperate where possible, but has been more hesitant to condemn in equally enthusiastic terms what his administration has time and again described as the Kremlin’s malign activities, including 2016 election interference. In addition to the president’s wavering rhetoric, the administration has drawn criticism from lawmakers over delays in implementing wide-ranging sanctions legislation (known as the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA) that Trump reluctantly signed in August.
New Jersey senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate’s foreign relations panel, referred to those sanctions delays in his reaction to the administration’s efforts Monday. He praised the expulsions as an important, united response to Russia’s use of chemical weapons on British soil, but reiterated his call to execute mandatory penalties against Russia.
“I urge President Trump and Secretary-designate Pompeo to fully acknowledge the Kremlin threat and take the long overdue steps to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to counter the Russian state’s reprehensible behavior against our country,” he said.
The Trump administration, in its most publicly visible condemnation of election interference to date, imposed sanctions against Russian people and entities under CAATSA in mid-March. Menendez at the time said that many of the penalties were repetitive, and urged the administration to fully implement six other sections of the legislation.
Republicans on Monday similarly praised the expulsions. Arizona senator John McCain said the decision is a “welcome step” toward holding Putin accountable. But he also called on the administration to implement CAATSA and advised administration officials to focus on Putin and his oligarchs for a more tangible punishment.
“The only way to ensure Putin and his cronies feel the consequences of their brazen actions is by punishing them financially,” he said. “The administration must follow today’s actions by enforcing robust sanctions on the Russian government and fully implementing the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act, which was overwhelmingly approved by Congress last year. Most importantly, the administration must develop a comprehensive strategy to deter and defend against Putin’s aggression aimed at the United States and our allies around the world.”
Nebraska senator Ben Sasse, who last week criticized the White House for its handling of Russia’s “phony, sham election,” commended the administration for taking measures that send a clear message.
“Good,” he said. “This is the kind of strong and unambiguous message the United States ought to be sending. Vladimir Putin is a despot with blood on his hands. He tried to assassinate an ex-spy and British citizen on NATO soil and the free world cannot ignore his shadow war.”
