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Bloomberg
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he will force a vote next week on a measure to block the Treasury Department’s plans to lift
sanctions on three Russian companies linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who is reported to be under scrutiny by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his probe of Moscow interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Schumer’s move comes amid a backlash from Democratic lawmakers suspicious of the Trump administration’s motives, and is aimed at forcing Republicans who control
the Senate to take a side in
the matter.
“After consultation with the relevant committee ranking members and my colleagues, I have concluded that the Treasury department’s proposal is flawed and fails to sufficiently limit Oleg Deripaska’s control and influence of these companies, and the Senate should move to block this misguided effort by the Trump Administration and keep these sanctions in place,†Schumer said.
He added that it wouldn’t be appropriate to lift the sanctions while Mueller’s probe continues. Democrats have just 47 seats in the Senate, so some Republican support would be needed.