Via a State Department statement, the illegitimate, popular-vote-losing White House occupant has let it be known he won’t be enforcing sanctions against Russia that were ordered by an almost unanimous congressional vote (98-2 and 419-5).
The legislation itself is a sufficient “deterrent,” you see. Even if it only hits other nations Russia deals with, not Russia itself.
He dare not touch his dear friend Vladimir Putin’s stuff.
Politico congressional reporter Elana Shor tweets, with images of the statement:
Story coming on Politico; when I see it there I’ll link to it. Here it is. The part I find most interesting:
In addition to the sanctions on entities doing business with Moscow's defense and intelligence sectors, the sanctions law also calls for the administration to produce by Monday [Jan. 29, 2018] a list of oligarchs linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a report on the consequences of sanctioning Russia's sovereign debt. The sanctions law was crafted partially in response to Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
It remains unclear whether the administration has already released or plans to release the oligarchs or sovereign debt reports that were due Monday, both of which are likely to contain classified information. The State Department spokesperson added: "Further details are contained in a classified report we have submitted to Congress."
Interesting that this happened on the same day Andrew McCabe was forced out.
It’s basically throwing down the gauntlet to Congress. “I don’t have to follow your orders even if you vote 98-2/419-5… how you gonna make me?”
It seems we have a constitutional crisis and not even on only one front. Nunes & gang on the House Intelligence Committee have voted to release the Nunes-authored memo (and of course keep the Dem side silenced) to give cover to Trump shutting down the Mueller investigation.
If the Senate wants to maintain any power in the face of Trump’s powermongering, it had better draw a line in the sand right now.
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Tuesday, Jan 30, 2018 · 1:33:10 AM +00:00 · Karen Wehrstein
FINALLY the MSM has it: Reuters (though I can’t find it on their site). Huffpo has picked it up.
Why no one else?
WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Monday a 2017 U.S. law was deterring billions of dollars in Russian defense sales, but it did not announce any sanctions under the measure designed to punish Russia for allegedly seeking to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
[...]
With the statement, President Donald Trump’s administration signaled it was not imposing new sanctions under a bill he reluctantly signed into law in August, just six months into his presidency.
Tuesday, Jan 30, 2018 · 2:22:24 AM +00:00 · Karen Wehrstein
And now CNN, with quotes from Tillerson. They are making it clear tRUmp’s act is unlawful.
Washington (CNN)The Trump administration has declined to impose sanctions against companies and foreign countries doing business with blacklisted Russian defense and intelligence entities.
The administration was required by law to name the companies and individuals Monday, and possibly sanction them under a 2016 law meant to punish Russia for its interference in the 2016 US election, as well as its human rights violations, annexation of Crimea and ongoing military operations in eastern Ukraine.
Tuesday, Jan 30, 2018 · 3:35:18 AM +00:00
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Karen Wehrstein
WaPo weighs in. Finally, a quote from a Democrat!
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was “fed up” with the administration’s failure to punish Russia over election interference.
“The Trump administration had a decision to make whether they would follow the law and crack down on those responsible for attacking American democracy in 2016,” he said in a statement. "They chose instead to let Russia off the hook yet again.”