Sen. McCaskill seeks congressional oversight of Russian sanctions; argues against partisan 'food fight'

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., wants congressional oversight over any decision by President Donald Trump and his administration to lessen U.S. sanctions on Russia.

McCaskill is among a bipartisan group of senators who have proposed the Russian Sanctions Review Act.

The group includes Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John McCain of Arizona and Marco Rubio of Florida and Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Ben Cardin of Maryland.

McCaskill said the current sanctions were imposed on Russia as a result of its “unlawful and illegal aggression in Ukraine and obviously their attempt to impact the results” of the presidential election last year.

Under this legislation, the president would have to certify Russia has ceased directing and financing any acts to undermine “the territorial integrity” of Ukraine and any cyberattacks against the United States government or individuals, the senator said.

“This bill will give Congress 120 days to review a certification by the president,” McCaskill said in a telephone conference call with reporters Thursday.

“It is very concerning that every time Russia comes up with President Trump, he is defensive of them,” she added.

“He has gone so far as to try to say that Russian activity as it relates to lawlessness and murder and killing of innocent civilians, that somehow that is equivalent to the United States,” McCaskill said.

She told reporters “emotions are running very high” in Washington.

She said Republicans and Democrats in Congress need to “start talking to each other and working together.”

“There is too much at stake for us to stand in our partisan corners and engage in a food fight,” McCaskill added.

The senator said so far, she has supported the confirmation of five of Trump’s cabinet nominees and voted against three others.

She said she had planned to vote against three more of Trump’s nominees in upcoming confirmation votes and support another three or four.

“This is a matter of looking at each individual nominee and their qualifications,” she said.

McCaskill said she opposes U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., for secretary of Health and Human Services.

“I can’t be for Tom Price. He has spent his entire career trying to dismantle Medicare,” she said.

McCaskill’s office announced late Thursday the senator will not be present today when the full Senate votes on Price’s nomination because she will be in St. Louis with her husband, who will undergo heart surgery.

McCaskill expects to return to the Senate on Monday.

During the conference call, McCaskill said she objects to Trump nominee and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Pruitt has been an outspoken critic of the EPA’s environmental regulations.

“I am all down for common sense to be applied to regulations. But hiring Scott Pruitt to run the EPA is like hiring an arsonist to put out a fire,” McCaskill said.

McCaskill said the confirmation process has taken longer because “a lot of these people are billionaires” with “complex financial holdings” that should be reviewed to determine whether there are possible conflicts of interest.

The senator said while she disagrees with Trump on many issues, she supports a bill signed into law by the president that will allow government auditors to better identify wasteful spending and even fraud in the federal government.

McCaskill said she also would be willing to work with Trump to address “improper profiteering” by pharmaceutical companies.

“That is one place I would be happy to join forces with him,” she said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641