U.S. Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Wednesday released the following statement after the Senate overwhelmingly passed an amendment to strengthen and expand current U.S. sanctions on Russia during consideration of the Countering Iran’s Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017, which was authored by Senator Corker and is expected to pass the Senate this week.
“With overwhelming Senate passage of the Russia sanctions amendment, the U.S. sends a strong signal to President Putin while ensuring the Trump administration has the flexibility it needs,” said Senator Corker. “The Russian government continues to violate the sovereignty of Ukraine, aggravate the crisis in Syria, and destabilize democracies around the world. This amendment makes clear that we will not continue to tolerate such actions, and I am glad we are one step closer to passage of our legislation to hold Iran accountable.
“This amendment is also an important step as we continue our efforts to reassert congressional authority. Time and again, the Obama administration abused its executive authority to bypass Congress, and this legislation ensures that Congress – both now and in the future – will be able to weigh in on behalf of the American people.”
The amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill maintains and expands sanctions against the government of Russia in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyber-attacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria, said officials. Click here for more information.
Senator Corker’s Iran sanctions bill passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in May by a vote of 18 to 3 and currently has 60 cosponsors. The legislation would expand sanctions for Iranian ballistic missile development, support for terrorism, transfers of conventional weapons to or from Iran, and human rights violations. Click here for more information.