Jeffries Vows Sanctions Bill Trump Can’t Waive

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries pledged Sunday that Congress will draft a new Russia sanctions package stripping the president of waiver authority, following Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to void penalties against Moscow just weeks after signing them into law.

The legislative counterattack emerged as Jeffries campaigned in Toledo for Rep. Marcy Kaptur, whose Ohio district holds a large Ukrainian American population and serves as a critical battleground for House majority control in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Trump waived provisions of a bipartisan sanctions bill championed by Sen. Lindsey Graham late Friday. The penalties were scheduled to take effect Sunday. Members of both parties expressed outrage over the weekend at the reversal on legislation designed to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

“It’s shocking, but not surprising, that an American president would do so much to undermine the cause of democracy, freedom and dignity for the Ukrainian people,” Jeffries told The Associated Press after attending church services in Toledo.

Kaptur, who founded and co-chairs the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, called the waiver “un-American.”

“He has sided with Putin,” she told AP.

House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged the backlash Sunday on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” noting that colleagues have raised concerns. He said he had not yet spoken with Trump about the decision but knew the president was evaluating the situation.

“We need to talk about it and I think carefully consider the unintended consequences,” Johnson said.

Congressional leaders rarely strip executive waiver power from foreign policy legislation. Doing so requires overriding a presidential veto or attaching the language to must-pass spending bills. Jeffries’ vow signals Democrats intend to force a recorded vote that puts Republicans on the record regarding Moscow.

The confrontation is unfolding directly inside one of the most contested House races in the country. Kaptur, 80, is the longest-serving woman in the House. She defeated Republican Derek Merrin two years ago in a district Trump carried, and Merrin is making a repeat play for the seat.

Ohio remains fiercely contested in these midterms. While the Senate race between Republican Sen. Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown draws national attention, unlocking the chamber requires a district-by-district slog through House seats like Kaptur’s.

Jeffries, who stands to become House speaker if Democrats win back the majority, has traveled to roughly 50 cities this cycle. He dismissed Johnson’s recent suggestion that the upcoming election will mirror the 2024 sweep that returned Trump to the White House.

“The climate continues to hold firm,” Jeffries said, arguing House Republicans are “divorced from reality” and that voters want dramatic change rather than the status quo.

Kaptur, who was hospitalized after a car accident in August while riding as a passenger on her way to church, said she has recovered. Jeffries called her a legendary figure in the Great Lakes Region.

“Once again, she’s going to defy all expectations,” he said.