>> Sreenivasan: THE WHITE HOUSE
SAID TODAY PRESIDENT TRUMP
SUPPORTS THE BILL WORKING ITS
WAY THROUGH CONGRESS TO TOUGHEN
SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA FOR
MEDDLING IN LAST YEAR'S ELECTION
AND FOR ITS MILITARY AGGRESSION
IN SYRIA AND UKRAINE.
THE BILL, WHICH ALSO CONTAINS
NEW SANCTIONS FOR IRAN AND NORTH
KOREA, WOULD LIMIT THE
PRESIDENT'S ABILITY TO END THE
SANCTIONS ON HIS OWN.
"NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTER MATT
FLEGENHEIMER JOINS ME NOW FROM
WASHINGTON TO DISCUSS THE
LEGISLATION.
NOW LET'S FIRST TALK ABOUT
WHAT'S IN THESE SANCTIONS.
>> IT'S ESSENTIALLY... I THINK
SOME SANCTIONS WE'VE SEEN
AGAINST OTHER COUNTRIES, THIS
IS A PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES
NORTH KOREA AND IRAN AS WELL,
ESSENTIALLY ON THE RUSSIA FRONT,
SINGLING OUT CORRUPT ACTORS WHO
SORT OF UNDERCUT AMERICAN
INTERESTS, THOSE WHO SUPPLIED
ARMS TO THE ASSAD REGIME IN
SYRIA, THOSE INVOLVED IN CYBER
SECURITY ISSUES, OBVIOUSLY,
INCLUDING DURING THE ELECTION
LAST YEAR.
SO IT'S CASTING A PRETTY WIDE
NET HERE.
>> Sreenivasan: THIS ALSO
INCLUDES... CONGRESS HAS KIND
OF BAKED IN IN THIS SANCTIONS
BILL, THE PRESIDENT COULDN'T
NECESSARILY UNDO THEM ON HIS
OWN.
>> RIGHT.
THAT'S THE PIECE OF THIS THE
DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN MOST ADAMANT
ABOUT AND GOTTEN SOME BUY IN
FROM REPUBLICANS AS WELL.
IF YOU STEP BACK, IT'S REALLY
QUITE REMARKABLE TO THINK THAT
SIX MONTHS INTO A ADMINISTRATION
WITH MAJORITIES FROM REPUBLICANS
IN BOTH CHAMBERS OF CONGRESS
THAT YOU ARE SEEING ESSENTIALLY
A HANDCUFFING OF A SITTING
PRESIDENT ON AN ISSUE SO CENTRAL
TO THE SORT OF PUBLIC
UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PRESIDENT
WITH RUSSIA, AND ESSENTIALLY THE
MESSAGE IS HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED
NOT TO SORT OF UNDO THESE
SANCTIONS THAT AT THIS POINT A
PRETTY BROAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT
AMONGST BOTH PARTIES IN
CONGRESS.
>> Sreenivasan: BY THE TIME IT
GETS THROUGH A VOTE ON TUESDAY,
THIS WILL ALSO INCLUDE
SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN AND NORTH
KOREA, WHICH ARE ALSO THINGS
THAT HAVE A KIND OF A BIPARTISAN
CONSENSUS.
MAKES IT VERY, VERY TOUGH TO
VETO IT.
>> IT DOES AND THE WHITE HOUSE
HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE FOR
MONTHS OF TOUGHENING SANCTIONS
AGAINST THOSE TWO COUNTRIES.
SO IT DOES MAKES IT A MORE
DIFFICULT POSITION FOR HIM.
THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED
PRIVATELY FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW
THAT IT'S PRETTY UNTENABLE
POLITICALLY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT
FOR HIM TO VETO.
TODAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS
YOU'VE SAID, WE'VE SEEN THEM
SIGNAL THAT HE WOULD ACTUALLY
SUPPORT THIS.
>> Sreenivasan: THE PRESIDENT...
ACTUALLY MANY PRESIDENTS HAVE
SAID THIS IS THE PURVIEW OF THE
PRESIDENCY, THIS SHOULD BE MY
RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS,
THIS IS MY EXECUTIVE POWER.
IN THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION,
IT'S KIND OF, AT LEAST IN THESE
PARTICULARLY SANCTIONS, WE'RE
SEEING THAT POWER LIMITED.
>> SURE, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
CERTAINLY NOT THE FIRST
PRESIDENT TO CHAFE AT ANY KIND
OF SHACKLES PUT ON HIM IN
FOREIGN POLICY BUT ON HIM BY
CONGRESS.
AND, AGAIN, HAVING REPUBLICANS
IN CONGRESS WHOM THE
ADMINISTRATION HAS LOBBIED FOR
MONTHS NOW, AGAINST THESE
MEASURES, REALLY MAKES THIS A
PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT OF
THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS THIS
EARLY IN THE ADMINISTRATION,
SETTING THIS CHECK AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT WHEN THEY'VE BEEN
DISINCLINED TO CONFRONT HIM.
>> Sreenivasan: AND THERE WERE
DISAGREEMENTS, AT LEAST ON
THE HOUSE SIDE, WHEN THIS BILL
GOT THERE.
WHAT WERE THOSE COMPARED TO
WHAT HAD ALREADY PASSED THROUGH
THE SENATE?
>> IT WAS A COMBINATION OF
THINGS.
INITIALLY SPEAKER RYAN AND THE
MAJORITY LEADER KEVIN McCARTHY
RAISED TECHNICAL ISSUES, WITH
WHICH CHAMBER ORIGINATES BILLS
THAT HAVE TO DO WITH RAISING
REVENUE.
THERE IS SOME OTHER CONCERNS
CONCERNING AMERICAN BUSINESSES,
A LOT OF OIL AND GAS COMPANIES
LOBBIED AGAINST THESE MEASURES,
ARGUING THEY WOULD UNDERCUT
THEIR PROFITS.
DEFENSE CONTRACTORS AS WELL.
SO YOU SAW A LITTLE BIT OF A
TWEAK ON THAT IN THE HOUSE
VERSION OF THIS.
NOT CERTAINLY WHAT THE WHITE
HOUSE HOPED TO GET OUT OF THIS
BILL ONCE IT WENT THROUGH THE
SENATE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>> Sreenivasan: MATT
FLEGENHEIMER OF THE "NEW YORK
TIMES" JOINING US IN WASHINGTON,
THANKS SO MUCH.
>> THANKS, HARI.