Senate sends Russia sanctions bill to Trump's desk

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Senators are sending legislation slapping new sanctions on Moscow to President Trump's desk, setting up a potential showdown with the White House over Russia.
 
Senators voted 98-2 on the bill, which would give Congress the ability to block Trump from lifting the Russia sanctions. It also includes new penalties against Iran and North Korea.
 
Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against the bill, with Sanders saying on Twitter that "following Trump's comments that he won't recertify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear agreement I worry new sanctions could endanger it."
 
The move marks congressional Republicans' first significant rebuke of Trump's foreign policy, where the administration's warmer stance toward Russia has drawn heavy skepticism from both parties.

http://thehill.com/policy/international/russia/344221-senate-sends-russia-sanctions-bill-to-trumps-desk?rnd=1501193083

[David__77]

1. i think the bundling of the two countries into one bill is an error.

...

[OnDoutside]

2. Really odd for Sanders to vote this down ? Surely the existential

Threat is Russia ?

[dragonlady]

3. The result of the vote was not in question

His vote allowed him to point out something that he felt was important to bring to public attention.

[lapucelle]

4. What was he pointing out? n/t

[dragonlady]

5. As the Sanders quote says

Putting more sanctions on Iran could push them to stop complying with their agreement on nuclear capability that was reached in 2015. In other words, he was voting against this bill because of concerns about Iran, while one more vote for sanctions on Russia would make no difference to the outcome.

[lapucelle]

6. Here's what his June 15 statement actually says

I have voted for sanctions on Iran in the past, and I believe sanctions were an important tool for bringing Iran to the negotiating table. But I believe that these new sanctions could endanger the very important nuclear agreement that was signed between the United States, its partners and Iran in 2015.

Those fears are baseless, according to a senior negotiator of the treaty, Richard Nephew, who told CBS news that

"...the measure wouldn't harm the nuclear deal..."

As per CBS news:

"The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed legislation that would impose new U.S. sanctions that would target Iran's ballistic missile program, its support for terrorism and human rights violations, and yet it would still comply with the Iranian nuclear deal."

snip--------------------

"These secondary sanctions would comply with the nuclear deal because Iran's missile program is excluded from the agreement. Obama administration officials were unable to win that demand in the deal. While they are separate programs, Iran wants them to operate hand in hand."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-eyes-irans-ballistic-missile-program-with-new-sanctions/