Trump makes new demands for Russia, Iran sanctions bill named for Graham

President Trump has thrown a new hurdle into the passage of a Russia sanctions bill, which is set to come before the House for a vote. On Wednesday, the President issued a demand for lawmakers to amend the legislation to grant him authority to impose tariffs on Iran. This move has the potential to complicate the bill's path forward, as Democrats have already expressed concerns about the expansive tariff powers it grants.

The Russia sanctions bill aims to impose new penalties on Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election and its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. While Democrats largely support the bill, they have raised concerns that the tariff powers it grants to the President could be used to target countries other than Russia, such as China or Europe. The bill's sponsors have attempted to alleviate these concerns by limiting the President's ability to impose tariffs, but the President's new demand could still pose a challenge to the bill's passage.

The President's demand for tariff authority on Iran adds a new layer of complexity to the bill, which is already facing opposition from some Republicans who object to the sanctions on Russia. The bill's fate will now depend on whether lawmakers can come to an agreement on the President's demand, and whether they can find a way to balance the need for tough sanctions on Russia with the need to limit the President's ability to impose tariffs on other countries.