Trump Demands Iran Tariff Power in Graham Russia Bill

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- Trump on Wednesday issued a new demand that lawmakers amend a Russia sanctions bill named for Sen. Lindsey Graham to grant him tariff authority over Iran.
- The Russia sanctions legislation is heading to a House vote, and Trump's added demand is likely to complicate its path forward, per The Hill.
- Democrats, while largely supportive of the underlying Russia sanctions measure, have already raised concerns about the expansive tariff powers Trump is seeking to attach to the bill.
- The bill itself — focused on Russia — is a separate policy vehicle that Trump is using as leverage for an unrelated Iran trade power grab.
Why it matters: A bill that otherwise enjoys bipartisan support now faces a roadblock because Trump is attaching an unrelated Iran tariff authority demand that Democrats call too expansive — meaning a popular Russia sanctions package could stall in the House over a trade-policy sweetener the Senate never considered.




