Graham says Russia sanctions bill 'never going back on the shelf' after Trump backs push
The bipartisan push for sanctions against Russia has, for several months, ebbed and flowed on waves of speculation about whether legislation would actually get a vote.A signal or suggestion of...
By Fox News · Fox News
The bipartisan push for sanctions against Russia has, for several months, ebbed and flowed on waves of speculation about whether legislation would actually get a vote. A signal or suggestion of support from President Donald Trump would often push the bill from Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., closer to fruition, only to be swept back into churning, murky waters with no clear path on when or if the package would make its way to the president’s desk. Now, Trump has given Graham the "greenlight" to move ahead with his long-simmering sanctions package as peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine continue to simmer in the background. DEMS RELENT, SENATE SENDS $174B SPENDING PACKAGE TO TRUMP'S DESK AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS OVER DHS FUNDING Graham told Fox News Digital that this time around, he believed the bill would actually get a shot. "It's never going back on the shelf because President Trump believes he needs it," Graham said. "I think he needs it." But it has been over a week since Graham announced the president backed the package, and so far, it has yet to make it to the floor in the upper chamber. Lawmakers are also out this week and are set to return to Washington, D.C., next week with the primary objective of preventing a partial government shutdown. Still, the bipartisan duo has been tweaking the legislation over the last several months, but the core objective would be to slap eye-popping tariffs onto countries buying energy products from Moscow. The intent is to cripple Russia’s war machine by imposing duties on oil, gas, uranium and other exports, largely purchased by China and India, which account for nearly three-quarters of Moscow’s energy business. KENNEDY SAYS MILITARY ACTION ON GREENLAND WOULD BE 'WEAPONS-GRADE STUPID' AS GOP RESISTS FORCE The package has been on the back burner as the Trump administration works to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The latest iteration of that agreement generally included provis…