The new Congress legislation, which imposes sanctions on Russia, engenders collision with the White House because it enables Congress to prevent the president from lifting these sanctions. This was approved by the Senate on Thursday, clearing the House and now heading for the president’s table. This received mixed messages considering that Trump’s presidential campaign is still being investigated over a possible conspiracy with Moscow.

Why this legislation puts Trump in a deadlock

Not only does the bill impose new sanctions on Russia but also on North Korea and Iran.

Its passage had been deferred because Congress needed to resolve procedural issues as well as revise language that would preclude quite a number of overseas deals.

This legislation signals Congressional Republicans’ disapproval of President Trump. Congress does not want Trump to act on his own, especially in lifting sanctions impose the Obama administration on the aforementioned countries for meddling in the previous year’s U.S. election and for aggression in Ukraine.

Trump is in a dilemma. On one hand, if he signs the measure, that would curtail his executive power. But if he doesn’t, he will be embarrassed by a veto override since the bill cleared both chambers with whooping margins. On top of that is the criticism that Trump seeks to safeguard the interests of Russia over his own country.

The White House’s official statement is unclear whether the President would sign it. But they made it public that the bill is under review and that the Trump administration definitely supports any sanctions to be imposed on those countries. Both Democrats and Republicans believe that it would be a grave mistake if Trump wouldn’t sign the legislation.

The measure curbs Trump’s power to waive or lift sanctions imposed on Russia, which consists of sanctions that are imposed under several laws as well as executive actions like barring Russian access to diplomatic properties in Maryland and New York.

If the White House would want to grant waiver that ends sanctions on persons and entities or even grant license that considerably goes against US foreign policy on Russia, a report which describes the proposed action and the reasons for it must be presented to the Congress for scrutiny.

In addition, the report should emphasize whether or not the action is designed to alter the direction of the United States foreign policy towards Russia, and must be able to highlight the expected consequences on diplomacy and national security. But lawmakers, in this way, could then easily oppose efforts to alleviate Russian sanctions.
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