Senate committee approves bill to sanction Russia

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday voted to approve and send to the full Senate a bill that would impose sanctions on Russia for interference efforts in democratic institutions and push forward international cybersecurity efforts.

The committee approved the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act (DASKA) by a vote of 17-5 during a markup on Wednesday.

The bill would impose wide-ranging sanctions on Russia for interference efforts, including sanctioning Russian banks that support Russian efforts to undermine foreign democratic institutions, and sanctioning relatives and associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin who solicit “illicit and corrupt activities” on behalf of Putin.

In addition, the bill would sanction both Russia’s cyber industry and target its sovereign debt.

Despite the committee vote in support, Foreign Relations Chairman James Risch (R-Idaho) voted against it, saying he was skeptical about the bill’s future, while telling The Hill that “I do not think this is going to be heard” in the full Senate.

Risch pointed to “fatal flaws” involving sanctions in the legislation, saying that sanctions have the potential to “hurt American enterprise and the American people.”

“In order to see that that doesn’t happen, you have to have flexible waivers in there, and this bill doesn’t,” Risch said. “I don’t think any president, Republican or Democrat, is going to sign a sanctions bill that doesn’t give the administration the flexibility that they need to administer the law.”