Lead

The US Senate has passed a bill aimed at tightening American sanctions against Russia and Iran, moving the legislation to the House of Representatives for consideration, according to TASS. The vote took place as senators prepared to leave Washington for a five-week summer recess.

Coverage Comparison

TASS reported that the bill cleared a procedural hurdle on Wednesday, with 84 senators voting to launch debates and 12 against. A subsequent report confirmed the Senate passed the bill and sent it to the House. The agency also covered President Donald Trump's support for the legislation and the Russian embassy's critical response.

Key Claims

Senate Action

The bill passed its second procedural vote in the Senate on Wednesday, with 84 senators in favor and 12 against, TASS reported, citing a C-SPAN broadcast. The first procedural vote occurred on Tuesday with 86 senators supporting it. The Republicans, who hold a Senate majority, expected to hold a final vote possibly by the end of the week, according to Punchbowl News, a media outlet covering Congress, as relayed by TASS.

The legislation, as described by TASS, envisages restrictions on Russia's political and military leaders and state-owned companies, as well as secondary sanctions against Russia's trade partners. Senators also proposed a 100% tariff on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.

Before the final vote, lawmakers rejected an amendment that would have stripped the US President of the authority to impose tariffs on third parties importing Russian oil or gas, TASS reported.

Trump's Position

President Donald Trump expressed support for the bill, according to TASS. In comments on the legislation's progress, Trump said, "I would like them to add provisions on Iran as duties, and not just as sanctions. I think this is important." He added, "I think they should put in for Russia, but I think they should put in for Iran."

However, Trump said he did not see the need for the House of Representatives to interrupt its August recess to review the sanctions bill promptly. "It shouldn't be necessary to be honest," he said.

Russian Embassy Response

The Russian embassy in Washington issued a statement in response to a TASS request, criticizing the bill. The embassy said the legislation "does a disservice" to Trump's administration. The statement, as quoted by TASS, said the bill, named after the deceased Senator Lindsey Graham (who is on Russia's list of terrorists and extremists, according to TASS), "is doing the current American administration a disservice."

The embassy's statement described Graham as a "clinical Russophobe" and recounted that earlier this year, when Graham and like-minded individuals shuttled between Kiev and Washington demanding tougher anti-Russian sanctions, the White House tried to moderate "the excessive zeal of lawmakers acting on the principle of 'Carthage must be destroyed.'" The statement argued that additional legislative requirements only narrow the president's maneuvering room.

The embassy further asserted that against the backdrop of the US being "bogged down in the Iranian adventure" and the prospect of collapsing energy markets, which could raise gasoline prices and accelerate inflation ahead of the November congressional elections, "Donald Trump's fellow party hawks are putting sticks in the wheels of the presidential foreign policy to the satisfaction of the opposition from the Democratic Party."

Perspectives

Trump Administration

President Trump supports the bill but prefers adding provisions on Iran as duties. He sees no urgency for the House to return early from recess.

Russian Embassy

The bill is counterproductive to the US administration's interests, narrows the president's flexibility, and is driven by lawmakers' excessive zeal that could harm US foreign policy and domestic economic conditions.