US Senate may consider bill on new sanctions against Russia as early as next week, - Axios
The US Senate may put a bill on a new package of tough sanctions against Russia, initiated by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, to a vote as early as next week.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Axios.
According to the publication’s sources, representatives of the Democratic Party have made it clear to Republicans that they are prepared to vote in favour of the sanctions package in the coming days.
If the bill is passed, it will be one of the few examples of bipartisan support for a major piece of legislation amid the ongoing political deadlock in the Senate.
The vote may take place after the memorial service for Graham
A memorial service in honour of the late Senator Graham is scheduled for Tuesday at the Capitol. According to Axios, it is after this that the Senate may proceed to consider the bill, which the politician had been actively promoting shortly before his death.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen expressed her hope that the bill would be passed in the near future.
"Ukraine has the momentum on the battlefield, and the Kremlin's position is increasingly precarious. It is vital that we move as quickly as possible," she said.
The bill has already been finalised
According to Axios, the bill, which was backed by more than 60 senators, has been revised twice since its author’s death.
During the revisions, the maximum rate of secondary tariffs was reduced from 500 per cent to 100 per cent, and the scope of the bill was narrowed to allow for the imposition of such tariffs on no more than five countries.
As the publication notes, on 19 July, US President Donald Trump proposed extending the scope of the bill to include Iran.
According to Axios, the bill’s authors took this proposal into account when drafting the final version.
