Trump Won’t Impose Sanctions on Russia and Congress Is Upset

As night fell on the Monday deadline for the White House to implement new sanctions against Russia that were passed by Congress last July, President Trump broke with the overwhelming majority in the legislature and chose not to impose the law he signed in August. Unsurprisingly, multiple members of Congress are voicing their displeasure and consternation with the decision.

According to The Washington Post, the administration sees the legislation itself as a “deterrent” to those who might choose to do business with the defense and intelligence sectors of the Kremlin. A State Department spokesperson told Politico that potential targets of penalties “have been put on notice, both publicly and privately” regarding the consequences of dealing with “Russian entities.” The administration also cited the extended time frames associated with defense deals as another reason to wait.

An anonymous State Department official revealed to WaPo that future sanctions would fall on foreign governments and entities that buy from Russia and not Russia itself. So, even if sanctions are introduced in the future, the president doesn’t want to impact Vladimir Putin directly, which surely proves itself as a valuable deterrent.

Trump’s rationale is falling on deaf ears on the Congressional floor, however, as the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act was passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress last July. The bill passed by a margin of 517-5 in both houses. It still serves as one of the least partisan pieces of legislation during a presidency marred by partisan volatility.

Now that the White House’s position is known, members of Congress are speaking up and speaking out against the decision.