Congressman suggests adding India to Russia sanctions bill to restrict economic ties between the two nations.

Lawmakers in Washington are facing a race against time as they work to make amendments to the Russia sanctions bill. One of these amendments proposes to include India, among other top trading partners, in the legislation. Meanwhile, another amendment suggests removing the section that imposes tariffs altogether.

This bill, known as the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, was passed by an impressive 86-11 vote in the US Senate last month. Its aim is to impose sanctions not only on Russia's leadership and energy sector, but also on the "shadow fleet" of vessels that help Moscow evade sanctions on oil deliveries. The US believes that Russia's crude oil trade is funding the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Additionally, the bill would give President Donald Trump the power to impose 100% tariffs on Russia's top oil trading partners, including China and India. While the bill has already passed in the Senate, it must also be approved by the House of Representatives before it can be sent to the President for signature. However, with only four working days left before the House breaks into early recess ahead of the midterm elections on November 3, time is of the essence.

One of the amendments, proposed by Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer, aims to name specific countries as eligible for 100% duties. These countries include China, India, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, the UAE, Singapore, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. On the other hand, Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks, who is strongly opposed to giving Trump more power to impose tariffs, has proposed an amendment to scrap a section that grants the President broad authority to impose secondary tariffs on Russia's trading partners.

This amendment has three co-sponsors. All of these proposed amendments were made public by the House Rules Committee on Monday. Meeks has also introduced an amendment that would allow the President to waive sanctions on a foreign entity for 90 days, with the option for renewal for additional 90-day periods, if it is deemed "vital to the national security of the US." He has also proposed authorizing $15 billion in direct loans to Ukraine for the procurement of defense items and services.

In summary, these amendments to the Russia sanctions bill are causing quite a stir in Washington. The proposed changes range from naming specific countries in the legislation to completely removing sections that grant the President more power. As the deadline for House approval approaches, all eyes are on the lawmakers as they work to finalize the bill.