Donald Trump Signs Russia Sanctions
by Charlie Spiering2 Aug 20171,804

President Donald Trump has signed the bill passed by Congress to put more sanctions on Russia, according to a White House official.

The bill was signed privately at the White House on Wednesday as the ceremony closed to the press, but according to official a statement is forthcoming.

The sanctions bill passed in the Senate by an overwhelmingly supportive vote of 98-2 last week. The House voted 419-3 in support of the bill. The bill also includes sanctions on Iran and North Korea.

The new sanctions were seen as a response to Russia’s attempt to interfere in the 2016 presidential election as well as President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive actions in Syria and Ukraine.

Trump signed the legislation despite reservations that it would block attempts to negotiate with Russia during his administration.

“The action by the Congress to put these sanctions in place and the way they did, neither the president nor I were very happy about that,” Trump’s Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters at the State Department on Tuesday.

In a signing statement, Trump expressed his reservations that it encroached on presidential authority, harmed U.S. businesses, and limited the administration’s ability to work with allies to negotiate with Russia.

“[D]espite its problems, I am signing this bill for the sake of national unity,” Trump said. “It represents the will of the American people to see Russia take steps to improve relations with the United States. We hope there will be cooperation between our two countries on major global issues so that these sanctions will no longer be necessary.”

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/...ssia-sanctions/



UPDATE: Text of signing statement Trump issued alongside the Russian sanctions bill
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08/02/17 11:40 AM EDT

This is the statement the White House issued as President Donald Trump signed the Russia sanctions bill.

"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 3364, the "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act." While I favor tough measures to punish and deter aggressive and destabilizing behavior by Iran, North Korea, and Russia, this legislation is significantly flawed.

In its haste to pass this legislation, the Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions. For instance, although I share the policy views of sections 253 and 257, those provisions purport to displace the President's exclusive constitutional authority to recognize foreign governments, including their territorial bounds, in conflict with the Supreme Court's recent decision in Zivotofsky v. Kerry.

Additionally, section 216 seeks to grant the Congress the ability to change the law outside the constitutionally required process. The bill prescribes a review period that precludes the President from taking certain actions. Certain provisions in section 216, however, conflict with the Supreme Court's decision in INS v. Chadha, because they purport to allow the Congress to extend the review period through procedures that do not satisfy the requirements for changing the law under Article I, section 7 of the Constitution. I nevertheless expect to honor the bill's extended waiting periods to ensure that the Congress will have a full opportunity to avail itself of the bill's review procedures.

Further, certain provisions, such as sections 254 and 257, purport to direct my subordinates in the executive branch to undertake certain diplomatic initiatives, in contravention of the President's exclusive constitutional authority to determine the time, scope, and objectives of international negotiations. And other provisions, such as sections 104, 107, 222, 224, 227, 228, and 234, would require me to deny certain individuals entry into the United States, without an exception for the President's responsibility to receive ambassadors under Article II, section 3 of the Constitution. My Administration will give careful and respectful consideration to the preferences expressed by the Congress in these various provisions and will implement them in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations.

Finally, my Administration particularly expects the Congress to refrain from using this flawed bill to hinder our important work with European allies to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, and from using it to hinder our efforts to address any unintended consequences it may have for American businesses, our friends, or our allies."

https://www.morningstar.com/news/market-...tions-bill.html