Resumen de Congress enacts sanctions legislation targeting Russia

Kristina Daugirdas, Julian Davis Mortenson

• In July 2017, Congress passed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The legislation—which enjoyed nearly unanimous legislative support—contained sanctions targeting Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Title II of the Act—titled separately as the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017 (Countering Russian Influence Act)—entrenched and extended U.S. sanctions against Russia for violating Ukraine's territorial sovereignty and interfering with the U.S. presidential election. Title II's key provisions codified existing sanctions against Russia; imposed new sanctions against Russia; and restricted the president's authority to modify or eliminate these sanctions without congressional approval. Despite voicing constitutional objections to the legislation, President Trump signed the bill into law.