Russia sanctions bill stuck in procedural hell

A bill imposing sanctions on Russia and Iran that in theory has broad support from both parties has been has been stalled by convoluted fights over substance and process that are threatening to derail the measure, even after it passed 98-2 in the Senate and seemed to be on a path toward quickly becoming law.

The battle has Democrats charging that Republicans are looking to make it easier for President Trump to waive sanctions against Russia, while the GOP charges that Democrats are needlessly delaying the bill's passage.

And in the meantime, the process for considering the bill has become so complicated that even some congressional aides struggle to describe the exact status of the bill, including whether the bill is technically in the House or the Senate.

In mid-June, the Senate passed the legislation in a near-unanimous vote, which was made possible by the addition of language imposing sanctions on Russia for its election meddling and its aggression against Crimea. The bill featured a twist from the usual sanctions bills — language that would let Congress disapprove of any decision by President Trump to waive the sanctions.

That language reflected fears by Democrats that Trump would simply waive sanctions against Russia, which reflects the Democrats' view that Trump has ties to Russia and would be looking to avoid sanctions decisions.