Senate sputters on bill to punish Russia despite bipartisan demands for tough US action
The bill is so popular that President Joe Biden and 424 members of the bitterly divided House back it.
But the Senate is sputtering, struggling to find the time and consensus to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus -- and show that the United States is speaking with one voice in condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
The reason for the delay: An upcoming recess, competing priorities on the Senate floor, scheduling decisions by the Senate majority leader and one GOP senator who refuses to let the bill quickly pass without some changes to the measure.
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In this case, Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican, has refused to consent to a vote until changes are made to the bill's language about how to combat human rights abuses. And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has refused to use the floor time to overcome the objection, opting instead to schedule votes this week on executive branch nominations and use next week to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-sputters-on-bill-to-punish-russia-despite-bipartisan-demands-for-tough-us-action/ar-AAVDsXu