Ukraine Briefing Spurs Greater Urgency on Sanctions in Congress

(Bloomberg) -- Lawmakers in the House and Senate were rushing to draft a new menu of potential sanctions on Russia intended as a deterrent to any aggression against Ukraine.

The sense of urgency in Congress escalated following briefings Thursday by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines that lasted the better part of a day.

Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee who has been working on draft legislation with the panel's chair, New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez, said a draft would be done “very soon.”

Negotiations had been slowed as Democrats and President Joe Biden's administration resisted Republican efforts to impose more sanctions on Russia now. Both sides agree on the need for more punishing penalties should Russia invade Ukraine, which the Kremlin denies it plans to do.

“The disputes are not large,” said Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, another Republican on the Foreign Relations panel, in reference to sanctions. “Some people want some ahead of time, others just want them prospective or reactive so that they serve as a pure deterrent. But on the substance of it we're not far off.”

Action, though, won't come before next week, as senators left Washington for the weekend on Thursday.

In the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that he is working with Risch on a companion bill in the House.

“I've been in touch with them, trying to get a House-Senate companion,” McCaul said. “So that we would have lethal aid to Ukraine and some form of sanctions.”

Risch said the package of sanctions is intended to send a message, making an indirect reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We hope the person who makes that decision is watching very closely what happens here, studying it and comes to the conclusion, as he should, that this is very serious, we're taking it serious and we're going to do what we say we're going to do,” Risch said in an interview.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration is “in discussion with Congress about the legislation.” She said there was no “red line” being drawn about pre-emptive sanctions.

Many lawmakers leaving Thursday's briefing said that time was of the essence in drafting a deterrent measure. Some were more dire in their assessment than others of the necessity to send a message to Russia, and to China as well.

“I'm concerned that Mr. Putin's timetable is different than ours,” said Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican. “He may well move before we can get this done. Part of the goal is to provide some deterrence and make a statement on behalf of the Congress in a bipartisan way. But it's not just directed at Mr. Putin, it's also directed at” President Xi Jinping of China “and others who would seek to take advantage of the circumstances.”