RUSSIAN SANCTIONS?

[gopiscrap]

overwhelmingly voted by Congress....what happened?

[pbmus]

1. Scuttled...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210158856

[OliverQ]

2. Not being implemented. Trump said they're not needed.

[safeinOhio]

3. The Kings decree

[peggysue2]

4. The Trumpster . . .

decided they weren't necessary. This is explosive.

The man is a traitor.

[Hav]

5. Nothing happened

Trump decided it wasn't needed (no joke). The fact that there might be sanctions is the deterrent according to them. I don't know what else any decent Republican out there needs to know to realize that Trump is doing what Russia wants.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. There were several threads on this that are falling off the main page

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210158835

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210158876

A lot going on today (obviously done on purpose ahead of the SOTU).

[HipChick]

7. Putin orders...

[spanone]

8. on behalf of vladamir putin, trump is ignoring russian sanctions.

[cilla4progress]

9. You would think

this would be a bridge too far.

[Skittles]

10. TRUMP IS OWNED BY PUTIN

NOTHING WILL HAPPEN

[bluestarone]

11. and will the media question the REPUBS??

prob not

[dalton99a]

12. The emperor threw the bill in the trash

[CousinIT]

13. Ignored. Senate passing 20-wk abortion ban. House releasing secret FISA memos and...

....duct taping Dem and FBI/DOJ hands in order scuttle Mueller Russia investigation.

[Igel]

14. Read the law again.

https://www.state.gov/t/isn/caatsa/275115.htm

IN GENERAL.—On and after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose 5 or more of the sanctions described in section 235 with respect to a person the President determines knowingly, on or after such date of enactment, engages in a significant transaction with a person that is part of, or operates for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation, including the Main Intelligence Agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation or the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.

(b) APPLICATION OF NEW SANCTIONS.—The President may waive the initial application of sanctions under subsection (a) with respect to a person only if the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees—

(1) a written determination that the waiver—

(A) is in the vital national security interests of the United States; or
(B) will further the enforcement of this title; and

(2) a certification that the Government of the Russian Federation has made significant efforts to reduce the number and intensity of cyber intrusions conducted by that Government.

Think of this like the Congressional 'mandate' to move the US embassy in Israel, a mandate that could be waived by a presidential determination that it was against the national security interests of the United States. The determination in neither case seems something subject to Congressional review.

If nothing else, define "significant" in 231(2).

The law wasn't as billed, I think. It doesn't appear to necessarily impose sanctions. It doesn't appear to require that Trump impose sanctions. It left it up to his, um, well, discretion. I don't even see that it requires justification of any 'determination,' but it may, either elsewhere in the statute or by using the word 'determination' which may (entailing 'may not') be defined to include justification elsewhere in the labyrinth that is US statutes.