08/02/2017
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bipartisan bill placing new sanctions on Russia — but in a statement, he claimed multiple aspects of the legislation violate the Constitution.
The sanctions, aimed at punishing Russia for its interference in the 2016 election, limit the president’s power to lift the sanctions without congressional approval and were initially resisted by the administration.
In one of two statements released almost simultaneously Wednesday morning by the White House, Trump said he supports the law's efforts to crack down on the actions of Iran, North Korea and Russia. But the White House protested what it sees as congressional encroachment on the president’s power in foreign affairs.
"In its haste to pass this legislation, the Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions," Trump said in one statement. "My Administration particularly expects the Congress to refrain from using this flawed bill to hinder our important work with European allies to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, and from using it to hinder our efforts to address any unintended consequences it may have for American businesses, our friends, or our allies."
The president's second statement included a stepped-up defense of his own administrations foreign policy and input on the legislation. Trump said that "despite its problems," he had signed the bill "for the sake of national unity." The statement characterized the governments of Iran and North Korea as "rogue regimes," a label he did not apply to the Russian government.
Even as he continues to label Russian interference in the election as a “hoax,” the statement went further in acknowledging the intrusion than Trump has in the past.
“I also support making clear that America will not tolerate interference in our democratic process, and that we will side with our allies and friends against Russian subversion and destabilization,” the statement said.
Still, Trump was quick to push back on what he views as congressional overreach.
"The bill remains seriously flawed — particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch’s authority to negotiate. Congress could not even negotiate a health care bill after seven years of talking," Trump said, in reference to congressional Republicans’ latest failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
"I built a truly great company worth many billions of dollars. That is a big part of the reason I was elected," the president continued. "As President, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress.”
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Originally Posted by Swordsmyth
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