As expected, President Trump signed new Russian sanctions into law on Wednesday—"quietly," reports the Hill. And, it turns out, with loud reservations. Both the House and Senate passed the sanctions by overwhelming, veto-proof margins—517 in favor, just 5 against across both houses—as retaliation for Russian interference in the 2016 election, reports the AP. Trump opted not to try to defy Congress. But he did release two signing statements. What you need to know:
- Politico reports the White House released two statements (here and here) nearly simultaneously. A line from one: "In its haste to pass this legislation, the Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions," including one that "purport[s] to displace the President's exclusive constitutional authority to recognize foreign governments."
- A line from the other: The bill "remains seriously flawed–particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch's authority to negotiate ... and will drive China, Russia, and North Korea much closer together. The Framers of our Constitution put foreign affairs in the hands of the President. This bill will prove the wisdom of that choice. Yet despite its problems, I am signing this bill for the sake of national unity."
- For context, Bloomberg notes that signing statements are nothing new: George W. Bush and Barack Obama issued them in instances where they weren't thrilled with what they were signing.