House Speaker Paul Ryan just bragged the House passed “one of the most expansive sanction packages in history.” The bill places sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
The bill passed by a veto-proof margin 419-3. The three members of Congress who are on the right side of the debate (all Republicans) are Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky and Rep. John Duncan of Tennessee.
The wheels are in motion. All that needs to happen is for the Senate to go along. That’s likely because the Senate passed its own measure.
Republicans are at odds with Trump as the Wall Street Journal explains in House Passes Bill to Impose New Sanctions on Russia.
In a rare, overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, the House on Tuesday passed new sanctions that would punish Russia, after the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Moscow had sought to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.
The provision the White House has objected to would require the president to consult with Congress before relaxing any sanctions against Moscow or restoring Russia’s control over diplomatic compounds in the U.S. that the Obama administration had seized.
The measure must now pass the Senate, which approved a different version of the bill last month that also included the congressional oversight language.
According to a January report from the U.S. intelligence agencies, Russia’s interference was directed from the highest levels of its government. Its tactics included hacking state election systems; infiltrating and leaking information from party committees and political strategists; and disseminating through social media and other outlets negative stories about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and positive ones about Mr. Trump, the report said.
The Evidence?
Can we please see the evidence on Russia?
ZeroHedge explains Meet The Awan Brothers – The (Not-Russian) IT Staff Who Allegedly Hacked Congress’ Computer Systems.
Even if there is evidence, unless the US is willing to stop meddling abroad, what’s good for the goose should be good for the gander.
If we cannot keep our filthy hands to ourselves, why should we expect anyone else to?
Philosophical discussions aside, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
What the Bill is Really About
This bill is not about Russian meddling. Euroiontelligence explains.
The bill is aimed specifically at the Nord Stream 2 project, with BP and Shell as the largest European partners, and which the US considers as detrimental to its interests. [Note: BP does not appear on the project list but Shell does.]
We reported on the 97-3 vote in the US Senate in favour of new legislation to step up sanctions against Russia, by including third-country companies that trade with Russia – in other words, European companies. The EU was relatively relaxed about this because it was far less clear whether the House of Representatives would support the Senate version of the bill. And ultimately there was hope that President Donald Trump would veto it. Both of these expectations appeared to be wrong.
What concerns the European Commission in particular is the impact of the decision on the controversial Nord Stream 2 project, which plans to get Russian gas directly to Germany through the Baltic Sea, bypassing the existing central and eastern European channels. The two companies most affected would be Shell and BP, two of the project’s main funders.
According to FAZ, the European Commission follows the developments with concern because US policy goes against EU interest, and because it divides the western alliance in its response to Russia.
The concern is particularly strong in Germany. Sigmar Gabriel is talking about extraterritorial sanctions that are illegal under international law.
Winand von Petersdorff notes in a comment in FAZ that the bill is consistent with an overarching goal of successive US administrations to block the Nord Stream 2 project. There are two reasons why the US is particularly focused on this pipeline: it weakens Poland and Ukraine, both of which have a strong lobby in Washington. And it benefits US exporters of liquefied gas. The draft legislation does not hide that part of the motivation is to create US jobs. Von Petersdorff notes that US legislators have rarely expressed with such clarity the view that they prioritize US commercial interests over its political partnership with the EU. There is still some residual hope that the final draft of the bill will be weaker than feared by the Europeans, but a presidential veto now seems unlikely.
EU to Hit Back
Politico reports Brussels Prepares to Bite Back at US Over Russia Sanctions.
The European Commission plans to hit back “within days” at the United States if possible new sanctions against Russia, which could be finalized by the end of the month, are agreed upon and leave European energy and other companies vulnerable to U.S. interference.
According to an internal note prepared for commissioners, and seen by POLITICO, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is particularly concerned about energy-related measures in the sanctions, which he believes could be used unfairly against European energy companies.
The biggest affected interest would be the mooted Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, itself a source of political controversy in the EU, though the Commission note says “the impact would in reality be much wider.” Germany and Austria lashed out at the proposed sanctions in June, accusing the U.S. of politicizing its economic interest in selling shipments of liquefied natural gas to Europe, which would compete with projects like Nord Stream 2 or the Southern Gas Corridor from the Caspian.
The European Commission’s mitigation approach would be split into three strands:
- Seeking a public declaration from the U.S. administration, as President Barack Obama provided in 2014, that discretionary powers would not be used against European companies.
- Making use of the EU “Blocking Statute,” an EU regulation (Council Regulation 2771/96) that says no decision based on extraterritorial U.S. laws is enforceable in the EU.
- Possible World Trade Organization retaliatory measures.
How Trade Wars Start
Public declarations are useless, especially from Trump. He can and does change his mind in minutes.
Points two and three provide mechanisms for the start of huge counterproductive trade wars. The EU is already in a trade war mess with Russia and now the US is threatening to up the ante.
On top of that, Trump complains about the German trade surplus with the US.
For their part, the EU hypocrites have ridiculous crop subsidy supports and plans to punish the UK over Brexit.
Factotr in Trump’s ill-advised threats to raise tariffs on Chinese steel, and we have at hand a protectionist trade war tinder box in search of a match.
Rule of Nothing
As is typically the case, and explained by the “Rule of Nothing”, the best possible outcome is for nothing to happen.
To that end, Congress may go on recess before working out the differences between the House and the Senate versions.
I propose a permanent recess before more damage is done.
Correction
Reader Mark points out that BP is not on the list of Nord Stream 2 Shareholder and Financial Investors as cited by Eurointelligence. The companies are ENGIE, OMV, Shell, Uniper and Wintershall. Shell was cited by Eurointelligence.
Mike Mish Shedlock.
Permanent Congressional Recess………??
We could only hope !!!
But how could the US function without our “native criminal class”, as Mark Twain called Congress?
https://seniorplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/shutdown-meme-13.jpg
Trump should neither sign nor veto the bill but let it pass without his signature. He can tell Merkel that she can’t blame him for this one.
If the Senate is anywhere close to the House – it’ll go thru no matter what the Prez does. WAY enuff to override the veto, anyway.
Brilliant!! That the only solution possible. Let the bill pass. How will they enforce it.?
The President is the Commander and Chief. Of all armed forces. Congress has no way of imposing the sanctions. Therefor it’s fake law. Passed for whatever stupid explanation one can think or come up with. More proof that we need term limits snd that we need to vote out all incumbents across the board and plant Russian emails on the victors servers. The moment they get porky again. 😐
We must have an enemy, foreign AND domestic. Makes one wonder what they are going to jamb up our rear while we are focusing on these “threats”. Something is coming…you can bet.
We have the best government money can buy. The epitome of crony capitalism.
I’m pushing 68 – everything today is so screwed up – good is bad and bad is good – I love my country (Vietnam Vet – US Navy) – I watch our leaders in congress get up in front of the mic and say all the right things – but in reality its all BS. Its a snow job – these people don’t WORK – its border line “scam city” – nothing ever gets done – we have been a country now going on 250 years and everything should have been FIXED by now. These people get into office and they realize how lucky they are and will do anything and say anything to STAY – hell I would probably do the same thing. We need a NEW system – this is NOT working. Term limits for one – get these geezers out of here asap (looking into the mirror, dam I’m one too).
Unfortunately, they’d have to vote to impose term limits on themselves. Not going to happen.
It was a snow job back when you served in viet nam. That was about a fake russian scare as well. Or did you think you were defending YOUR country.
Yes, it would be nice if the Russian evidence was made public so we could judge for ourselves. But you understand it is classified right? Trump has seen it and could release it if he chose, but he has not. I suspect it’s pretty strong.
BTW, whatever happened to that story about the guy and his analysis of the email zip files proving it was Seth Rich that leaked the emails to wikileaks? Did it turn out he was a full of shit conspiracy theorist? Either way, it got your posts onto zerohedge so financially it was probably worth it.
With more than 150 leaks coming out on Trump, some directly from intelligence agencies, you are seriously going to suggest that there is evidence against Trump that has NOT been exposed? The reason Trump fired Comey is because every rumor and innuendo EXCEPT the fact that there was NO investigation ongoing on Trump, was LEAKED.
Pul-leese.
Did you see that one of the Awan brothers was arrested last night trying to flee the country? It’s also been shown that the DNC email files were copied from the inside, not hacked from the outside. The Russians! narrative has collapsed. The DNC “hack” that wasn’t a hack is the basis for Mueller’s existence.
This is what gives transparency to our circumstances. Everyone KNOWS there is no real proof against Russia OR Trump, but they are going forward with the investigations and warmongering anyway. They don’t CARE who knows the truth. They are in charge and we are to shut up….if we know what’s good for us.
When Mueller pivots from Russia to some land deal in Atlantic City 15 years ago then we’ll know the fix is in. Our intel agencies are running an op against it’s own citizens.
The evidence is nonexistent, or it would have been leaked. But the US, which interferes in every country’s elections (109 countries so far), could hardly complain…And the EU interfered on Hillary’s side…
“But the US, which interferes in every country’s elections (109 countries so far), could hardly complain…And the EU interfered on Hillary’s side…”
But the left is far too biased, too plain ignorant (or selectively and willfully ignorant) of history, and too much based upon FEELINGS rather than facts and the critical analysis of them to realize or, at least, mention that. For the US to be griping about outside interference in elections is hilariously hypocritical.
A few weeks ago I watched some episodes from the first season of Mission Impossible tv show from 1966. About the fourth or fifth one in had the IM team going to a small Central American country and literally “hacking” a voting machine in order to defeat the dictator’s election fix. I couldn’t stop laughing…..
I’ve seen zero evidence of Russia hacking.
Feel free to enlighten me.
Wikileaks (Assange) said Russia wasn’t its source.
And recently there was a report that DNC leak likely an inside job due to evidence that download too fast for connection available … and time stamp same as source.
So the Evil Party and the Stupid Party finally agreed on something. Wonderful. I must admit I am surprised they are that Evil and Stupid.
I take it as another proof that: There is no real such thing as dems and repubs, instead, there’s the status quo neocons/neolibs against the others that are tired of sacrificing our money, and our children (armed services) so that the western corporations can triumph over the rest of the world.
There is no democrats or republicans, there is only the swamp, its defenders and opponents.
What the US needs is a nice meteor hitting the DC area, with maybe another one hitting Hollywood , and a third Wall Street….
Would certainly be an undeniable improvement, for all those not in the immediate blast zone…….
China has lost radio contact with their space lab late in 2015, Tiangong, and the orbit is decaying. Most of it will burn up in the atmosphere, but the engines will not,,, they are definitely going to hit the earth pretty much in tact. Estimates for reentry is supposed to take place in mid-late 2018. its orbit is north to south and it does pass over DC on occasion. It might get real interesting, and depending on where it decides to “set down”, a political situation. WARNING: This object is expected to decay around Fri, 06/07/2018 15:00:00 +/- 84 hours UTC (these predictions are provided by Joseph Remis).
http://www.satflare.com/track.asp?q=37820#TOP
Think NASA would be able to nudge it onto a specific target? If DC wouldn’t work….how about that little fat kid’s palace……
No, NASA can only muster some grainy footage of the meteor being nudged.
Democrat and republicans are more than happy to deflect to Russia dodging their own failures.
We have seen NO evidence of any serious actions by Russia, and it is DAMNED RICH to suggest ANY other country is a threat to our democracy given how many nations and leaders we have had direct hands on their leadership.
“we came, he died”. Isn’t that Hillary’s comment on our liberation of Libya from Ghaddafi? Yeah Russia is our big threat, SURE. It’s a God damned insult to our intelligence.
threats. Something is coming. you can bet….
A coup. A coup is coming.
“Suppose you are an idiot. And suppose you are a congressman. But I repeat myself.” -Mark Twain
Might be a damn cold winter in western Europe in a few months.
Sometimes you get the bear – and sometimes the bear gets you.
If the talking heads at Eurointelligence are correct (paging broken clock right twice a day, paging…) then the sanctions make no sense. Even for the chuckleheads running Congress.
Germany isn’t going to freeze to death, and Merkel already said she wants to defy the US at every turn (not sure if she wants to defy US, defy Trump, or just deflect attention away from her own failed policies, but a defying she shall go…).
So “the US” (at least 534 arrogant ones) wants to strong arm Germany into buying LNG from the US, which (after shipping) will cost more than piped gas from Gazprom. The way to get German industry on the US side is to impose sanctions that will hurt Germany?
Is this like pulling a girl’s pony tail to get her to like you? I don’t remember that working in 1st grade, and definitely didn’t work by middle school.
US Congress pulling Merkel’s hair to get her to like them just feels gross on so many levels
Mandatory hijab for EU NOW !
Germany has a $50 billion trade surplus with USA. Germany has the option of purchasing US LNG. Other options are exceedingly painful for Germany.
The US congress is a proctologist’s dream come true. Unfortunately, the EU beat us to it.
And I survived emergency open heart surgery for this. But then I was surprised that McCain had a brain tumor, I never thought he had a brain. I don’t think the sanction bill will pass judicial review as it impinges on the executive branch. Congress only makes the laws and not run the country.
I have sympathy for McCain having been a prisoner of war. I fail to see how that makes him a hero.
_aleph_
It doesn’t – and he isn’t.
The term “hero” is thrown around far too much these days. It’s as watered down as flying the flag at half staff.
There is a great many unanswered questions about McCain’s supposed heroism as a “leader” of POW resistance and activities. There are even charges by those who were at one of the POW camps that McCain was a collaborator. I have little direct knowledge on the subject so I cannot and will not say anything on that matter. But his personal and political life leaves much to be desired in my mind.
I had an instructor who had been a Navy pilot and interred in North Vietnam for six years. All he would say was that it had been rough. He declaimed all pretense to being a hero by virtue of his captivity.
Let’s see … Europe gets 38% of its energy from Russia, and only 2% from the US.
This is clearly a situation that cannot be allowed to stand, but we pretend to be the good guys trumpeting free markets, rule of law, blah blah blah, so what are we to do?
Sounds like a false-flag and a corresponding “response” to me.
We’re still the top dog on this planet. The top dog has the greatest investment in maintaining the status quo. That is (or should be) glaringly obvious.
Saying don’t meddle is like saying you’re for world peace. Yeah, everybody is for world peace,,,but on their terms.
Mr Ryan’s opening sentence shown over his photo suggests that he hasn’t mastered English.
first and foremost, i want to know all of the authors of the bill, both credited and uncredited, as well as the source of all payments to those authors.
simple and fair request, no?
That might be politically incorrect
You have the right to remain silent, anything you say…
$$$$$$$
As they say all wars are bankers wars.
Iraq and Afghanistan have been deliciously revenue accretive
Extrapolating costs of the F35 then Cold War II should be scrumptious
WW3? Que sera, sera Gotta keep dancing while the music plays
“Can we please see the evidence on Russia?”
…
but but if we repeat it enough times, it must be true …
“Can we please see the evidence on Russia?”
Now that you admit the evidence exists what more do you need to know?
Reblogged this on John Barleycorn and commented:
SpeakerRyan You can get this passed before Obamacare reform/repeal and a tax overhaul which affects Americans daily, unlike sanctions.
Sanctions have nothing to do with interfering with elections. Russia signed a treaty guaranteeing the integrity of Ukraine’s border. How ludicrous that Russia with a standard of living par with Botswana would invade Ukraine. Russian living standard now competes with Venezuela for the socialist torch of shame. Russia bit off more than it can chew. The rational choice is to spit it out.
All the Russians did was take back Crimea which has always been theirs. It contains their Black Sea Naval base a strategic asset for them. The US instigated a civil war against a duly elected govt for its own purposes, along with the EU. I know the USA wouldn’t have done what the Russians did, right. The US govt is pure as the driven snow.
Russians in Crimea and East Ukraine are getting a taste of holodomor and scorched earth. Hungry bellies in Russia caused recent civil unrest. All is not well in the evil empire because invasions have consequences.
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
Germany will correct the trade imbalance with USA by purchasing US LNG instead of Gazprom gas. America First.
“…in order to keep Americans safe.”
I fail to see how these sanctions will keep us safe. They risk a potential nuclear war.