Politics
House to Consider Russia Sanctions Measure Amid Fight Over Trump’s Tariff Powers
House lawmakers are scheduled to take up a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that passed the Senate with an 86-11 vote. The measure has bipartisan support as a tool against Moscow, but many Democrats warn it would give President Donald Trump dangerous new authority to impose tariffs.
WASHINGTON — The House is scheduled to vote on a broad Russia sanctions package after Senate lawmakers approved it overwhelmingly in August, setting up a difficult test for the measure amid concerns over President Donald Trump’s authority to impose tariffs.
The House Rules Committee is scheduled to consider the bill Monday afternoon. The legislation has White House backing and would impose mandatory sanctions on Russian leaders, the country’s energy sector, defense-industry collaborators and vessels linked to Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Supporters say the bill would increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine and provide the administration with leverage in negotiations. The Senate approved the measure 86-11.
But the bill’s tariff provisions have sparked opposition among many House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The legislation would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil — a power Democrats say could carry broad economic consequences and be used against U.S. allies as well as adversaries.
“Donald Trump already has ample authority to impose sanctions on the companies, individuals, and vessels propping up a Russian war machine that continues its deadly attacks on Ukraine,” Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York and Richard Neal of Massachusetts said in a joint statement with Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia and Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. They argued that Congress should not authorize additional tariff powers to target Russia.
“The White House is pushing Johnson to jam this through because Trump is desperate for new tariff power, not because he needs new tools against Russia,” Meeks said Friday, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
House Republican leaders previously left the Senate-passed bill off their agenda when lawmakers returned from the August recess. Republican support has remained uncertain, despite renewed attention after the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a leading advocate for the legislation.
Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged the House to approve the measure.
“Ukrainian civilians continue to be killed by Putin’s war machine, and this bill hits the Kremlin’s coffers hard,” Shaheen said in a social media post. “Now is the time to pass it and force Putin to the negotiating table.”
A European official who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive legislation called the bill imperfect but said it would give the administration additional leverage over Russia and demonstrate political support for Ukraine.
The House vote comes as lawmakers face competing pressures over the scope of presidential economic powers. Democrats are weighing the national-security value of tougher sanctions against the risk that the tariff authority could deepen trade disputes, raise costs for consumers or be used more broadly than intended.
If approved by the House, the measure would move toward Trump’s desk, though the final outcome will depend on whether House leaders can overcome Democratic objections and lukewarm enthusiasm among some Republicans.