Senator Leery of Passing Russia Sanctions Bill Amid Peace Push
Despite co-sponsoring a bill that would impose a wide range of sanctions on Russia and its supporters if Moscow refuses to reach a peace deal with Ukraine, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said Aug. 19 he is hesitant for Congress to take up the legislation when it returns from its August recess.
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Tuberville said he worries the proposal might constrain President Donald Trump from using the tools he already has to pressure Russia to negotiate a peace agreement. One such existing tool, the senator noted, is tariffs, which Trump recently increased on India for buying Russian oil (see 2508040045 and 2508060018).
“We don't need to be over-telling him what to do,” Tuberville told reporters at the Capitol in response to a question from Export Compliance Daily. “I think it would just tie him to what we would pass instead of give him an opportunity to do what he needs to do, because he knows a lot more about it than us. I think we just need to stay out of it.”
The bill, which Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., introduced in April (see 2504020003), has more than 170 Senate and House co-sponsors. While some lawmakers in both parties have called for passing the legislation as soon as possible (see 2506100057), the Trump administration has warned that new sanctions against Russia could derail peace talks (see 2508180005).