Lawmakers appear to have clinched a deal on slapping new penalties on Russia after a push to add in North Korea sanctions threatened to complicate the legislation’s path forward.
“The Senate will move to approve the Iran and Russia sanctions it originally passed six weeks ago, as well as the North Korea sanctions developed by the House,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said on Wednesday evening.
He added that after discussions with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) they had “an agreement that will allow us to send sanctions legislation to the president’s desk.”
A spokesman for McCarthy confirmed that the North Korea sanctions will stay in the legislation.
The deal could smooth the way for the Senate to pass the legislation for a second time before they leave in mid-August for a summer break. The bill cleared the Senate earlier this year in a 98-2 vote, but didn’t include North Korea sanctions that were added by the House.
Corker added he also expects the House will take up additional North Korea legislation after they return from the August recess.
“Going forward, the House has committed to expeditiously consider and pass enhancements to the North Korea language, which multiple members of the Senate hope to make in the very near future,” Corker said.
The House easily passed legislation slapping new penalties on Russia, Iran and North Korea earlier this week in a 419-3 vote. But the decision by House Republicans to add in new sanctions against Pyongyang had gotten pushback from senators, who are working on their own sanctions bills.
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JUST IN: Republicans strike deal on bill to limit Trump's power to lift Russia sanctions https://t.co/3YTSUnTw4S pic.twitter.com/juAPG50YJU
— The Hill (@thehill) July 27, 2017
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