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The Trump administration's approach to sanctions on
Russia remains unclear after inconsistent statements from the White
House press secretary and communications director on Sunday.
A bipartisan deal
was reached in Congress on Saturday on legislation allowing new
sanctions against Russia for alleged interference in the US presidential
election and military action in eastern Ukraine.
The Trump administration is reported to have lobbied
against the bill, arguing that placing fresh sanctions on Russia hampers
the president's negotiating power.
The president is
now in a tricky situation: veto the bill, risk looking weak on Russia,
and leave himself open to a congressional override; or sign legislation
that restricts his powers, which he has previously opposed.
What's in the bill?
The US imposed a series of sanctions
on Russia under the Obama administration, hitting both individuals and
companies after Russia's annexation of Crimea. Obama also expelled 35
diplomats and closed Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New
York after allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election came
to light.
Under the new legislation, Trump's ability to end or
loosen sanctions would be severely limited. He would be required to tell
Congress of any moves that "significantly alter" US policy toward
Russia. Congress would then debate the proposed changes and vote on
whether to support them.
The legislation also opens
the door to fresh sanctions against Iran and the DPRK, moves the White
House is more amenable to. The DPRK had been left out of a sanctions
bill passed by the Senate in June, but its inclusion is thought to have
helped get the bill to the House floor.
Mixed messages
The
newly-installed White House communications team -- Communications
Director Anthony Scaramucci and Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders
-- appeared on Sunday morning's weekly political talk shows without a
consistent line on Russian sanctions.
"We support
where the legislation is now and will continue working with the House
and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia until the
situation in Ukraine is fully resolved and it certainly isn't right
now," Huckabee Sanders told ABC News.
With the House scheduled to vote on the bill on Tuesday,
Huckabee Sanders seemed to leave the door open to opposition if the
legislation is changed.
Her new boss, Scaramucci,
offered a clearer answer, telling CNN that Trump “hasn't made the
decision yet to sign that bill one way or the other.”
Trump
does have the power to veto bills, although there is a strong chance
that doing so in this case -- despite substantial backing from lawmakers
-- would be overridden by Congress.
Why is Trump uncertain on sanctions?
The
Trump administration has previously opposed strengthening sanctions on
Russia, arguing that to do so would limit the president’s ability to
negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson said in June: "I would urge Congress to ensure
any legislation allows the president to have the flexibility to adjust
sanctions to meet the needs of what is always an evolving diplomatic
situation."
Trump has repeatedly said that the US should aim for a
warmer relationship with Russia, something that is complicated by the
sanctions imposed by the Obama administration.
The
Senate in June voted 97-2 to pass the legislation, a rare instance of
cross-party agreement in the chamber and clear opposition to the
administration’s line. However, the legislation had until Saturday been
held up in the House.
On Sunday afternoon, Trump
complained about a lack of congressional support: "It's very sad that
Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do
very little to protect their President.”
Trump has
also repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of allegations that Russia
interfered in the 2016 election. Even on Sunday, Scaramucci relayed a
recent conversation with Trump about Russia’s alleged election
interference. "He basically said to me, 'Hey you know, this is, maybe
they did it, maybe they didn't do it’,” he told CNN.
Challenging week ahead
The
White House is braced for another tough week, with the “Russia factor”
again likely to dog the administration. The House is expected to pass
the sanctions bill on Tuesday, and leading figures from the Trump
campaign are set to appear before Senate committees investigating
Russian influence on the presidential election.
Donald Trump Jr. and former Trump campaign chairman Paul
Manafort will speak to the Senate judiciary committee on Wednesday as
part of its investigation into alleged Russian interference.
Jared
Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, will be interviewed by
representatives of the Senate intelligence committee on Monday and the
House intelligence committee on Tuesday.
