The $1.3 billion spending bill President Trump signed Friday included more sanctions on Russia designed to send a message that the administration needs to be tougher on Vladimir Putin.
Multiple lawmakers and congressional sources from both parties said the new financial barriers aimed at punishing Russia are both robust and significant, and were crafted in light of Russia’s continued aggression in eastern Europe and the Middle East in addition to the likelihood that the Kremlin tries to meddle in the 2018 midterm elections.
CNN:
One section bars money from funding a program that Russia participates in by stating money should "not be used for officials of the central government of Russia."
Another section punishes Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea by barring funds from going to support any countries that back the annexation, and directs Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to push Americans on certain financial boards to disallow funds from flowing to programs supportive of Russia's annexation.
In a five-page section titled "Countering Russian Influence and Aggression," appropriators flatly outlaw any federal money going to the Russian government and approves $250 million to the Countering Russian Influence Fund, a program that works for boost the "capacity of law enforcement and security forces in country in Europe and Eurasia" and looks to deepen ties to anti-Russia allies.
"None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be made available for assistance for the central Government of the Russian Federation," reads the section, which excoriates Russia for seeking to destabilize Ukraine, annexing Crimea and occupying Georgian territories like Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
No one seems to know who exactly snuck sanctions into the bill, or if lawmakers know, they aren't saying. Instead, they are making it clear the provisions represent a bipartisan belief on Capitol Hill that the president must do more.
Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) told The Daily Beast... the language was “most likely added by senior senators who recognize that the Congress has acted forcefully and in a bipartisan way to demand sanctions and stronger action by the president and [we] have so far been largely disappointed. I think this is partly an effort of senior legislators from both parties to make progress on that.”
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More broadly, the legislation directs funds toward “supporting democracy programs” in Russia including Internet freedom. It also allocates $380 million to the Election Assistance Commission to help states and localities improve their election infrastructure to guard it against cyberattacks
Congress Snuck New Russia Sanctions Into Spending Bill (Daily Beast)
Government funding bill includes new measures to punish Russia (CNN)