Bipartisan Group of Senators to Unveil New Russian Sanctions

It was reported that 10 senators including Democrats and Republicans will introduce legislation Tuesday that would increase sanction against Russia.

According to the Huffington Post, “Lawmakers, angered by Moscow’s alleged interference in the U.S. election process, have been discussing retaliatory action for weeks. But the legislation on sanctions that will be unveiled Tuesday goes beyond responding to Russian cyber-activity. It also mandates new measures related to Russia’s 2014 military incursion into Ukraine and its ongoing support of President Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria. The bill would codify some of the sanctions put in place by outgoing President Barack Obama as well as impose new punitive measures.”

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The Huffington Post report goes on to note that the effort was led by Republican John McCain and Democrat Ben Cardin. McCain and Cardin were joined by four members of each party. The Democrats include Bob Menendez, Jeanne Shaheen, Amy Klobuchar and Dick Durbin. And the Republican Senators include Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, Ben Sasse and Rob Portman.

Good chance of passing the Senate

If passed and implemented, the bill would lock in the executive order Obama used last month to apply sanctions against Russian intelligence services in response to their suspected role in election-related hacking. It would also impose a visa ban and asset freeze on individuals involved in cyberattacks against “public or private infrastructure and democratic institutions” and would sanction transactions with Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors.

With respect to Ukraine, the bill would turn into law the four executive orders used by the Obama administration to sanction Russia for its military intervention in its neighboring country. Individuals responsible for human rights abuses in territory occupied or controlled by Russia are subject to visa bans and asset freezes under the bill. It would also limit investments in Russia’s petroleum and natural gas sector, energy pipeline development and civil nuclear projects ― a move the bill’s authors say is a response to Moscow’s actions in Ukraine as well as in Syria on behalf of the Assad regime.

The bill would authorize $25 million to the Department of Homeland Security to educate the public on the threat of cybersecurity and teach better online practices. It would provide an additional $100 million to the State Department to promote democracy, independent media and “programs to counter ‘fake news.’”