McConnell warns Russia, pushes for new sanctions

Bloomberg

The fallout in Congress over President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin stretched into a second week, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell issuing a stern warning to Moscow that more sanctions may be in store.
“The Russians better quit messing around in our elections,” McConnell said. “They did it the last time. They better not do it again.”
McConnell’s words stood in contrast to those of Trump eight days earlier when he stood
next to Putin in Helsinki and seemed to give equal weight to the US intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and the Russian leader’s denials.
Trump has backtracked on some of his remarks, but the news conference with Putin and a subsequent invitation for him to come to Washington in the fall has opened the door to rare Republican pushback against the president on several fronts, including relations with Russia and trade.
Republican senators have joined with Democrats to sponsor legislation that would impose new sanctions on Russia and GOP lawmakers panned the administration’s plan to provide $12 billion in aid to farmers hurt by a spreading trade war as an expensive bandage on an injury created by the White House.

Targeting Debt
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they’ll combine on a proposal for increased sanctions on Russia — including targeting its sovereign debt — which sent the ruble falling. That followed on legislation previously introduced by Senators Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, and Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, that would impose stiff penalties if Russia meddles in this year’s election.
That determination would be made by the Director of National Intelligence — not Trump — under their proposal.
Van Hollen also joined with Republican Senator Pat Toomey in calling for separate sanctions against the 12 Russian intelligence officers indicted in the hacking of Democratic Party computer systems during the 2016 presidential campaign.
McConnell has cited the Rubio-Van Hollen proposal as a possible deterrent.
“We’re open to looking at all of that,” the majority leader said. He added that Putin would not be welcome in the Capitol if he accepts an invitation from Trump to visit the White House this fall.
The Senate Foreign Relations and Banking committees announced new hearings on countering threats from Moscow.
On Wednesday, the Foreign Relations panel planned a hearing where senators in both parties said they plan to grill Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on what commitments Trump made to Putin in Helsinki.
Some Republicans are showing concern and even dismay over the summit, but no one plan of action has emerged. It will take weeks, if not months, for hearings to be held and follow-up legislation to make its way to Trump’s desk. The House is preparing to leave for a five-week break, and that chamber has shown less appetite for challenging the president.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said actions, not words, are needed to counter Putin, but even some of Trump’s fiercest Republican critics want to take their time before acting.
Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said he isn’t yet ready to back another sanctions bill.
“We don’t want to rush in with our hair on fire or commit ‘ready, fire, aim’ policies that we’ve seen come out of other places,” he said.