US House of Representatives passes sanctions against Russia, restricting Trump

The US House of Representatives passed new sanctions against Russia and forced President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval if he wants to lift the sanctions.

A session of the US House of Representatives. Photo: CBS News

The US House of Representatives on July 25 voted to pass a bill imposing sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea with a vote of 419-3. The bill was strongly supported by both Republicans and Democrats. President Donald Trump opposed the bill because he wanted to increase his control over the imposition of sanctions, Reuters reported.

The bill needs to be passed by the Senate, then sent to President Trump for his signature or veto.

The bill comes as US lawmakers investigate possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between Mr Trump's campaign and Moscow. Russia and Mr Trump have both denied the allegations.

The White House said Trump has not yet decided whether to sign the bill. Rejecting the bill would help Trump improve relations with Russia but comes with the risk of a congressional veto.

The Republican-controlled Senate passed an earlier version of the bill in June, which was described as an Iran sanctions measure, and then added an amendment on Russia. The House went on to add measures on North Korea.

Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described Russia, Iran and North Korea as "threatening vital US interests and destabilizing their neighbors".

The bill is facing opposition from some senators because the House added sanctions against North Korea after deliberating for a month. Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was not sure the bill would "pass" the committee.

"We'd only agree if it was Iran and Russia. Add North Korea, I don't know how we'd handle it," Corker said.

The bill also worries the European Union (EU). Many US allies in the EU are dependent on Russia for gas.

According to VNE