Senators urge Trump to robustly enforce Russia sanctions law
WASHINGTON >> Two high-ranking senators are urging President Donald Trump to robustly enforce a law hitting Russia with new financial sanctions that he reluctantly approved last month.
Sens. Ben Cardin of Maryland and John McCain of Arizona said in a letter sent to Trump Thursday night that he’s obligated to demonstrate “from the highest levels that any effort to undermine U.S. sanctions will not be tolerated.”
Congress overwhelmingly passed the sanctions package to punish Moscow for its election meddling and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria. Trump grudgingly signed the measure into law in early August. He complained lawmakers had overstepped their constitutional bounds and impeded his ability to negotiate with foreign countries.
Cardin’s a Democrat. McCain’s a Republican. They say Congress intends to conduct “rigorous oversight” of the law’s implementation.