[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 21, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S3659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            RUSSIA SANCTIONS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now, on another matter, Russia 
sanctions.
  Just last week, the Senate approved a package of Russia sanctions 
that would lock in existing sanctions, give Congress the ability to 
review any sanctions relief, and implement tough, new sanctions to 
punish Mr. Putin and his allies for meddling in our election.
  The importance of this legislation is reflected in the overwhelming 
bipartisan vote of 98 to 2. Now we are hearing that the House of 
Representatives is under pressure from the White House, and they might 
blue-slip the bill, which could delay or prevent it from passing.
  Never mind the fact that the Senate bill was written to avoid such a 
problem, as my friend, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, 
Senator Corker, said when he heard the news. Never mind that, and make 
no mistake about it, the blue-slip threat is nothing more than a 
procedural excuse by House Republicans who dredged it up to cover for a 
President who has been far too soft on Russia. This administration has 
been far too eager to put sanctions relief on the table. That is what 
this is about.
  Many people, from one end of America to the other, are asking: Why? 
Why is he afraid of tough sanctions on Russia?
  Just yesterday, the White House spokesperson said that he had never 
spoken to the President about Russia's interference in our election. 
What has Russia concluded from all of this? Putin now knows he will not 
suffer any consequences for disinformation campaigns, for buzzing our 
ships and planes, for threatening our European allies, for cyber hacks, 
energy coercion, or his ongoing support for Russian separatists in 
Ukraine.
  Now, in a short time, the Trump administration is sending one of our 
most senior diplomats to Russia to meet with his Russian counterpart.
  Is the White House encouraging House Republicans to delay this bill 
so they can offer the Russians something in their upcoming talks? We do 
not know. It sure seems possible, even likely, and it is a flatout 
wrong approach, as Democrats and Republicans in this Chamber agree.
  The United States should not be afraid to engage with Russia, but we 
cannot look the other way or, worse yet, reward Putin after he directed 
an assault on our democratic institutions. That is why the Senate 
passed this package of sanctions, sending a powerful message to 
President Trump that he should not lift sanctions on Russia.
  Responding to Russia's assault on our democracy should be a 
bipartisan issue that unites both Democrats and Republicans in the 
House and in the Senate. The House Republicans need to pass this bill 
as quickly as possible. Their blue-slip excuse does not hold water.

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