WASHINGTON (AP) Almost a dozen Senate Republicans, including Jerry Moran of Kansas., broke with the White House Tuesday on Russia, voting to move forward on a resolution that would maintain sanctions on companies linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
The Democratic resolution would stop the Treasury Department from lifting penalties against the Russian aluminum manufacturing giant Rusal and two other companies connected to Deripaska. Senators took two procedural votes to proceed to the resolution, with 11 Republicans voting with Democrats.
While Democrats are unlikely to get the 60 votes they will eventually need to pass the resolution, the strong GOP showing which came hours after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin came to Capitol Hill and urged Republicans to vote against the resolution is yet another signal that Senate Republicans are willing to oppose the White House and President Donald Trump on national security matters.
Ill vote to disapprove Treasurys easing of sanctions on Russian businesses involving oligarch & Putin ally Oleg Deripaska, Republican Sen. Susan Collins tweeted after the vote. He still would maintain significant control given his ties to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. Easing the sanctions sends the wrong message to Russia & to Deripaska.
Treasury has warned that the sanctions could upset global aluminum markets or even prompt the Russian government to nationalize the company, thus shutting it out from any outside control.
Mnuchin said after his closed-door meeting with Republican senators that the sanctions shouldnt be a political issue. Echoing Trump, Mnuchin said, we have been tougher on Russia with more sanctions than any other administration.
But 11 Republicans still voted to move forward on the resolution, which was sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
The vote came less than a month after a similar scenario played out in votes to end U.S. assistance to Saudi Arabia for the war in Yemen and blame Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. While the Trump administration sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis to Capitol Hill to encourage Republicans to continue the U.S. assistance, several Republicans defected, angered by what they said was Trumps lackluster response to Khashoggis killing.
The two measures were never considered by the House and expired at the end of the congressional session.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell encouraged Republicans on Tuesday to vote against the sanctions resolution, noting that Deripaskas influence over the companies would be limited and calling the vote a Democratic stunt.
Schumer said that if senators agree with McConnell that Putin is a thug, theyll vote yes on the resolution.
Were only a few Republican votes short of the U.S. Senate telling Putin he cant run the show no matter what President Trump and his administration try to do, he said.
The Senate is expected to hold another procedural vote to move forward on the resolution Wednesday, and this time supporters will need 60 votes. If Tuesdays tallies are any indication, they will be just short 57 senators voted in support of proceeding to the resolution.
The House could also hold a vote soon, as Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has introduced a similar resolution to Schumers. Congress has 30 days from the Dec. 19 announcement to block the sanctions decision.
Last week, House Democratic chairmen from seven committees called Mnuchin in for a classified briefing on the easing of the sanctions. But many Democrats left frustrated, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying she was unimpressed.
