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News > World

US House Votes Overwhelmingly to Sanction Russia, North Korea

  • Trump has denied his campaign colluded with Moscow, calling the probes politically motivated and repeatedly criticizing them.

    Trump has denied his campaign colluded with Moscow, calling the probes politically motivated and repeatedly criticizing them. | Photo: Reuters

Published 25 July 2017
Opinion

The White House said the president had not yet decided whether he would sign the measure.

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly Tuesday for a bill that will slap new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, potentially complicating President Donald Trump's hopes of pursuing improved relations with Moscow.

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House members backed the measure by a margin of 388-2, with strong support from Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats. It must pass the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto.

The bipartisan measure aims to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and for alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The measure's fate in the Senate is uncertain after a key senator said the deal announced over the weekend may not be final.

If the Republican-led Senate passes the measure, Trump will need to decide whether to sign the bill or veto it. Rejecting it would carry a risk that his veto could be overridden by lawmakers.

The Trump administration has objected to a provision in the sanctions bill that the president obtain congressional approval before easing any sanctions on Moscow.

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"He's going to study that legislation and see what the final product looks like," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters on Monday, when asked whether Trump would support it.

Trump's relationship with Russia has been an issue during the first six months of his presidency as investigations continue into whether his associates colluded with Russian hackers to influence the election on his behalf.

Russia denies interfering in the U.S. election. Trump has denied his campaign colluded with Moscow, calling the probes politically motivated and repeatedly criticizing them.

In a series of tweets early on Tuesday, Trump lashed out at both U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Andrew McCabe, acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Without offering evidence, Trump cited "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage" his presidential campaign in order to aid his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

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