Democratic Leaders Fear the New Russian Sanctions Bill Could 'Harm' Americans. Here's Why
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told TIME that Trump “cannot be entrusted with new powers to impose tariffs that will further raise costs for American families.”
Democratic leaders are apprehensive about a newly passed Russian sanctions bill, fearing it may harm American citizens. The legislation, which received bipartisan support, aims to target financial institutions and the energy sector in Russia, which has provided funding for the conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the bill, calling it "an extremely powerful tool."
However, Democrats have raised concerns over the bill's provisions for Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries importing Russian oil or gas. Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation, expressed alarm over the "extremely wide" authority granted to the executive branch. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries led the Democratic opposition, warning that Trump should not be trusted with new tariff powers that could disproportionately impact American families.
Despite some Democrats supporting the bill, they have criticized it as "terribly flawed" due to its lack of guardrails and oversight.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
