HOUSE CHAIRS DEMAND ANSWERS ON SANCTIONS RELIEF FOR RUSSIAN OLIGARCH
(WASHINGTON) - The chairs of seven committees in the House of Representatives today are calling on the Trump Administration to explain the easing of sanctions on businesses tied to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. In response to a December 19, 2018 notification that the Treasury Department intends to terminate sanctions against three companies tied to Deripaska, the lawmakers wrote Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin requesting a briefing for Members of Congress and a postponement of the sanctions termination until Members’ questions are resolved.
The letter was signed by Chairman Richard E. Neal of the House Committee on Ways and Means; Chairwoman Maxine Waters of the Committee on Financial Services; Chairman Eliot L. Engel of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; Chairman Adam B. Schiff of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Chairman Elijah E. Cummings of the Committee on Oversight and Reform; Chairman Jerrold Nadler of the Committee on the Judiciary; and Chairman Bennie G. Thompson of the Committee on Homeland Security.
“The notification to Congress was delivered just prior to an adjournment for an extended recess and during which time a government shutdown ensued, which makes it difficult to complete our review of this matter within the 30-day period provided in CAATSA,” wrote the Members. “We request that you be available for a meeting with all interested Members, in an appropriate setting to allow for a full discussion of all aspects of the agreement, the sanctions termination and the impact these decisions would have on the U.S. effort to end Russia’s malign activities aimed at our country.”
Full text of the letter follows and can be found here.
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Contacts:
Erin Hatch (Ways & Means) 202-225-4021
Eric Hersey (Financial Services) 202-225-4247
Tim Mulvey (Foreign Affairs) 202-226-9103
Patrick Boland (HPSCI) 202-225-4176
Aryele Bradford (Oversight) 202-226-5181
Daniel Schwarz (Judiciary) 202-225-5635
Adam Comis (Homeland Security) 202-225-9978
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