US Senate Fails To Advance Resolution To Block Treasury From Lifting Russia Sanctions

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2019) The US Senate failed on Wednesday to advance a resolution to block the Treasury Department from lifting sanctions on three Russian companies, En+, Rusal and Eurosibenergo.

The Senate was unable to secure the 60 votes needed to advance the measure, with 57 senators voting in favor and 42 voting against a motion that would have limited debate and opened a 30-hour window for them to adopt the resolution.

Eleven senators in the Republican Party, which holds the majority in the Senate, broke ranks with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and voted in favor of advancing the resolution.

The legislation, penned by Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, aims to prevent the US Treasury Department from moving ahead with its plan to lift sanctions on the three Russian firms.

The Treasury announced the plan on December 19, saying it would roll back sanctions on EN+, Rusal and JSC Eurosibenergo after the three firms agreed to sweeping structural changes that will reduce the ownership of Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska and improve transparency. Deripaska himself will remain on the US sanctions list, and his assets will remain sanctioned, and other sanctions on Russia will remain in place, the Treasury has said.

If both houses of Congress cannot pass a measure to block the decision, the Treasury Department will be able to move ahead with its plan to lift the sanctions on Friday, December 19.