Is it time to start asking what Russia has on House Speaker Paul Ryan? Because he's using every excuse in the book to justify the fact that he hasn't yet put a sanctions bill to vote in the House that passed the Senate 98-2. It's got a "Constitutional issue" (the Senate passed a fix) and it might hurt the bottom line of oil companies in Texas (cry me a river) and House Democrats are stalling it (you've got the majority, Paul, it's your show).
Ryan may be obfuscating but one thing that's clear as day is that White House officials are doing everything in their power to weaken the bill, with spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Legislative Director Marc Short both trying to kill the effort. The New York Times writes:
White House officials say the legislation would handcuff the president by depriving him of the power to unilaterally ease or lift the sanctions if he sees fit. They are insisting on removing language that gives Congress the ability to block such action.
On Capitol Hill, however, Republicans chafe at any suggestion that they have gone soft on Russia, and blame procedural snags on Democrats while offering a series of justifications for why the bill is problematic.
Several Republicans have been compelled to insist that they remain the hawks they have always been. “You know me on this issue,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan told reporters on Wednesday. “I’m a Russia hawk.”
Touchy, touchy, Paul. Honestly, Ryan’s offered a million and one excuses but hasn't come up with a single solution. Democrats tried to force his hand by reintroducing the bill that originally passed the Senate since he's been waffling on the more recent changes.
On Wednesday, House Democrats introduced a measure identical to the Senate’s bill. The effort was aimed largely at proving a point: If Republicans refuse to act, they are simply carrying the water of an administration that has defied decades of conservative policy doctrine on Russia.
As Ryan dallies, the White House eagerly awaits a meeting between the State Department and the Russian Foreign Minister Monday where Trump officials are considering giving back two Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland that President Obama seized following the hacking scandal.
“We want to give collaboration, cooperation a chance," White House aide Sebastian Gorka told CNN Thursday.
Absolutely, give Russia a chance. What could go wrong?
The Senate bill would prevent Trump from making a unilateral decision about those compounds. We hate to associate ourselves with the remarks of John McCain, but ...
“Pass it, for Christ’s sake,” said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona.