Parties agree on economic measures

WASHINGTON — The office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is touting his effort in brokering a deal between Democrats and Republicans to strengthen sanctions against Russia.

The measure, which passed the Senate on Wednesday, came after a deal was reached late Monday night on the issue.

Brown, the ranking Democrat of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, announced an agreement with U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee in May.

The deal would add provisions to strengthen sanctions against Russia to an Iran sanctions bill being considered by the Senate.

Brown introduced bipartisan legislation in February to prevent President Donald Trump from lifting sanctions against Russia, following claims by U.S. intelligence agencies that President Vladimir Putin’s government was behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

Brown also cited Russia’s actions in the Ukraine as a basis for the Senate deal this week.

“The Ukrainian community in Ohio and around the world knows firsthand the dangers of unchecked Russian aggression. We should strengthen – not weaken or relax – Russian sanctions,” Brown said in a news release on Wednesday. “I urge my colleagues here and in the House to support this amendment, and I urge the President to sign it into law. We must continue to vigorously enforce and strengthen sanctions against Russia, to send a message to its leaders and the world that the United States of America will not tolerate efforts to undermine democracy around the world. This bipartisan bill is an important step in that direction.”

Brown’s office said, earlier this week, the two Senators, along with their colleagues from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, and Ranking Member Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, announced a bipartisan amendment which will provide for a mandated congressional review if sanctions are relaxed, suspended or terminated, codify and strengthen existing sanctions contained in executive orders on Russia, impose new sanctions on corrupt Russian actors.

It would allow broad new sanctions on key sectors of Russia’s economy, authorize assistance to strengthen democratic institutions and counter disinformation across Central and Eastern European countries and require a study on the flow of illicit finance involving Russia.