The House is set to vote this week on several bills taking direct aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin, a move Democratic leaders hope will spotlight bipartisan support for pushing back against Moscow.
The effort is focused on shaping U.S. policy toward Russia and responding to its aggression.
But intended or not, it also offers lawmakers an opportunity to send a message to President Trump, who has routinely bucked the bipartisan consensus on Russia’s aggression.
Four pieces of legislation will be put to the floor for votes tomorrow, focusing on aspects of Russia’s global antagonism that Trump has either questioned or denied outright.
The bills mention Moscow’s interference in the 2016 presidential election — which Trump appeared to dispute last year while standing next to Putin in Helsinki — in addition to recently enacted sanctions targeting Russia, many of which the Trump administration has not fully implemented.
The U.S. intelligence community has blamed Russia for meddling in the election with the goal of helping Trump win.
- The first is a resolution condemning Putin for the assassination of Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, while another is a measure stating that the U.S. government does not recognize Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
- Another bill would require the director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress a broad report on Putin’s net worth, much of which is held by Russian oligarchs with deep ties to the Kremlin.
“It is the sense of Congress that the United States should do more to expose the corruption of Vladimir Putin, whose ill-gotten wealth is perhaps the most powerful global symbol of his dishonesty and his persistent efforts to undermine the rule of law and democracy in the Russian Federation,” the legislation states.
- Lawmakers will also vote on legislation aimed at deterring Russia’s worldwide disinformation campaigns. The bill requires the director of National Intelligence to submit a report to Congress outlining U.S. intelligence assessments on Russia’s efforts to “exploit weaknesses and divisions among the governments of its Western adversaries,” including attempts to undermine the NATO alliance.
- In another show of solidarity with NATO, Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to invite NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg to address a joint session of Congress in April.
Later in the week, the House will vote on a resolution aimed at putting pressure on the Justice Department to release Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s findings to the public and to Congress.
Mueller has been investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, in addition to obstruction of justice and possible collusion between Trump associates and Russian operatives.
Attorney General William Barr, during his confirmation hearings, wouldn’t pledge to making Mueller’s full report public.