Why The Sanctions Bill Severely Checks and Restrains Trump

[VermontKevin]

So it’s official: One of the first major pieces of bipartisan legislation to pass Congress during Trump’s presidency has been explicitly designed to sharply limit his powers.

The bill takes Obama-era sanctions against Russia that are in place under executive orders — that is, directives that only the president has authority to enact and rescind — and officially enshrines them in the law. It also establishes a new congressional review process that would allow Congress to block the White House from taking steps to ease sanctions if it wanted to. And it imposes a fresh batch of sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Trump now faces an awkward dilemma: veto the legislation and endure the humiliation of seeing Congress — controlled by his own party — override him with ease, as lawmakers in both parties have pledged to do. Or sign the legislation and endure the humiliation of agreeing to a bill that his administration lobbied against in its bid to cling to a key bargaining chip in negotiations with Russia.

Trump wanted to keep sanctions under his control as he angles to turn things around in the rapidly souring US-Russian relationship. Moscow despises US sanctions, and their removal would be central to any kind of major reset between the two countries.


https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/28/16055630/congress-trump-russia-sanctions-veto

Methinks the Congress has intelligence that indicates that this step must be done.

[ck4829]

1. Good.

[geek tragedy]

2. Bottom line is that no one is willing to trust the President

to negotiate with Russia.

[VermontKevin]

4. Exactly. I think this is the equivalent of a no confidence vote.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Shit, I wouldn't trust him to buy a used car for me...

and I suck at that.

[BigmanPigman]

3. The dilemma should be an easy choice.

He can veto it knowing it'll pass anyway and tell Putin, "Hey, don't take it out on me, not my fault. Congress did it" or he can sign it and have to worry about Putin taking it out on him for betraying him (blackmail or tainted caviar).

[Doug the Dem]

6. I thought only Putin was allowed to restrain Trump

[bitterross]

7. Can you imagine his explosion if Congress overrides his veto? It would be awesome.

OMG, that would be better than any fireworks show I've ever seen.

The shit-storm of tweets about how his congress doesn't support their President would display, once again, he has no concept of how our government works.

Frankly, I'm still pissed he said he conferred with "my generals" on the transgender ban. They're not his freaking generals.

[OregonBlue]

8. Daily KOS Browder article claims it's the Magnitsky Act.

As a result of the Magnitsky Act, Putin can no longer guarantee absolute impunity, because all-of-a-sudden, we have created consequences in the West. I would not understate the value of the Magnitsky Act in terms of the consequences, because not only does it freeze the assets that are held in America, but the moment you get put on the Magnitsky List, you get put on the OFAC Sanctions List—which is a Treasury sanctions list. No bank in the world wants to be in violation of Treasury actions. And therefore, any bank, even if it is in South Korea or Dubai, if they see somebody on the Treasury sanctions list, [they] will close their account that day. And as a result, you basically become a financial pariah, and so it’s a real consequence.

He claims Putin's goal is to get rid of the act because in the west he cannot rape and pillage as easily and he has had to instruct people working for him—let’s say ten thousand people working for him—to do terrible things: to arrest, kidnap, torture, and kill to take people's property away. And as a result, the only way to get people to do such terrible things, is to say, if you do them, there will be no consequence. You will enjoy absolute impunity. Under the Magnitsky Act, he cannot do that in the US. He is counting on Trump to somehow get rid of the act and make it easier to deal in the United States the way he has in Russia and it's former satellites.

I guess we can assume there are lots of things Putin wanted in return for making the Giant Yam president.

[VermontKevin]

9. You are correct. Here is my prior thread on Browder/Magnitsky

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029378163

Putin can't protect his cronies.

[OregonBlue]

12. Oh, I had missed it. Will go read it all. Thanks.

[Gabi Hayes]

10. X cellent

Will keep this kicked

[VermontKevin]

11. Thank you.