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>> Sreenivasan: THE WHITE HOUSE

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SAID TODAY PRESIDENT TRUMP

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SUPPORTS THE BILL WORKING ITS

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WAY THROUGH CONGRESS TO TOUGHEN

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SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA FOR

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MEDDLING IN LAST YEAR'S ELECTION

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AND FOR ITS MILITARY AGGRESSION

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IN SYRIA AND UKRAINE.

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THE BILL, WHICH ALSO CONTAINS

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NEW SANCTIONS FOR IRAN AND NORTH

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KOREA, WOULD LIMIT THE

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PRESIDENT'S ABILITY TO END THE

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SANCTIONS ON HIS OWN.

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"NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTER MATT

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FLEGENHEIMER JOINS ME NOW FROM

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WASHINGTON TO DISCUSS THE

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LEGISLATION.

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NOW LET'S FIRST TALK ABOUT

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WHAT'S IN THESE SANCTIONS.

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>> IT'S ESSENTIALLY... I THINK

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SOME SANCTIONS WE'VE SEEN

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AGAINST OTHER COUNTRIES, THIS

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IS A PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES

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NORTH KOREA AND IRAN AS WELL,

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ESSENTIALLY ON THE RUSSIA FRONT,

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SINGLING OUT CORRUPT ACTORS WHO

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SORT OF UNDERCUT AMERICAN

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INTERESTS, THOSE WHO SUPPLIED

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ARMS TO THE ASSAD REGIME IN

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SYRIA, THOSE INVOLVED IN CYBER

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SECURITY ISSUES, OBVIOUSLY,

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INCLUDING DURING THE ELECTION

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LAST YEAR.

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SO IT'S CASTING A PRETTY WIDE

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NET HERE.

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>> Sreenivasan: THIS ALSO

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INCLUDES... CONGRESS HAS KIND

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OF BAKED IN IN THIS SANCTIONS

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BILL, THE PRESIDENT COULDN'T

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NECESSARILY UNDO THEM ON HIS

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OWN.

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>> RIGHT.

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THAT'S THE PIECE OF THIS THE

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DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN MOST ADAMANT

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ABOUT AND GOTTEN SOME BUY IN

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FROM REPUBLICANS AS WELL.

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IF YOU STEP BACK, IT'S REALLY

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QUITE REMARKABLE TO THINK THAT

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SIX MONTHS INTO A ADMINISTRATION

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WITH MAJORITIES FROM REPUBLICANS

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IN BOTH CHAMBERS OF CONGRESS

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THAT YOU ARE SEEING ESSENTIALLY

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A HANDCUFFING OF A SITTING

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PRESIDENT ON AN ISSUE SO CENTRAL

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TO THE SORT OF PUBLIC

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UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PRESIDENT

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WITH RUSSIA, AND ESSENTIALLY THE

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MESSAGE IS HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED

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NOT TO SORT OF UNDO THESE

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SANCTIONS THAT AT THIS POINT A

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PRETTY BROAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT

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AMONGST BOTH PARTIES IN

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CONGRESS.

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>> Sreenivasan: BY THE TIME IT

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GETS THROUGH A VOTE ON TUESDAY,

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THIS WILL ALSO INCLUDE

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SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN AND NORTH

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KOREA, WHICH ARE ALSO THINGS

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THAT HAVE A KIND OF A BIPARTISAN

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CONSENSUS.

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MAKES IT VERY, VERY TOUGH TO

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VETO IT.

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>> IT DOES AND THE WHITE HOUSE

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HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE FOR

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MONTHS OF TOUGHENING SANCTIONS

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AGAINST THOSE TWO COUNTRIES.

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SO IT DOES MAKES IT A MORE

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DIFFICULT POSITION FOR HIM.

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THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED

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PRIVATELY FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW

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THAT IT'S PRETTY UNTENABLE

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POLITICALLY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT

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FOR HIM TO VETO.

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TODAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS

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YOU'VE SAID, WE'VE SEEN THEM

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SIGNAL THAT HE WOULD ACTUALLY

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SUPPORT THIS.

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>> Sreenivasan: THE PRESIDENT...

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ACTUALLY MANY PRESIDENTS HAVE

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SAID THIS IS THE PURVIEW OF THE

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PRESIDENCY, THIS SHOULD BE MY

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RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS,

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THIS IS MY EXECUTIVE POWER.

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IN THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION,

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IT'S KIND OF, AT LEAST IN THESE

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PARTICULARLY SANCTIONS, WE'RE

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SEEING THAT POWER LIMITED.

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>> SURE, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP IS

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CERTAINLY NOT THE FIRST

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PRESIDENT TO CHAFE AT ANY KIND

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OF SHACKLES PUT ON HIM IN

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FOREIGN POLICY BUT ON HIM BY

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CONGRESS.

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AND, AGAIN, HAVING REPUBLICANS

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IN CONGRESS WHOM THE

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ADMINISTRATION HAS LOBBIED FOR

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MONTHS NOW, AGAINST THESE

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MEASURES, REALLY MAKES THIS A

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PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT OF

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THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS THIS

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EARLY IN THE ADMINISTRATION,

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SETTING THIS CHECK AGAINST THE

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PRESIDENT WHEN THEY'VE BEEN

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DISINCLINED TO CONFRONT HIM.

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>> Sreenivasan: AND THERE WERE

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DISAGREEMENTS, AT LEAST ON

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THE HOUSE SIDE, WHEN THIS BILL

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GOT THERE.

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WHAT WERE THOSE COMPARED TO

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WHAT HAD ALREADY PASSED THROUGH

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THE SENATE?

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>> IT WAS A COMBINATION OF

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THINGS.

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INITIALLY SPEAKER RYAN AND THE

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MAJORITY LEADER KEVIN McCARTHY

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RAISED TECHNICAL ISSUES, WITH

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WHICH CHAMBER ORIGINATES BILLS

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THAT HAVE TO DO WITH RAISING

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REVENUE.

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THERE IS SOME OTHER CONCERNS

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CONCERNING AMERICAN BUSINESSES,

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A LOT OF OIL AND GAS COMPANIES

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LOBBIED AGAINST THESE MEASURES,

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ARGUING THEY WOULD UNDERCUT

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THEIR PROFITS.

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DEFENSE CONTRACTORS AS WELL.

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SO YOU SAW A LITTLE BIT OF A

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TWEAK ON THAT IN THE HOUSE

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VERSION OF THIS.

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NOT CERTAINLY WHAT THE WHITE

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HOUSE HOPED TO GET OUT OF THIS

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BILL ONCE IT WENT THROUGH THE

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SENATE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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>> Sreenivasan: MATT

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FLEGENHEIMER OF THE "NEW YORK

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TIMES" JOINING US IN WASHINGTON,

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THANKS SO MUCH.

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>> THANKS, HARI.