Article snippet: Posted at 7:00 pm on June 17, 2017 by Susan Wright Timing. Optics. They matter. On Thursday, with a bipartisan vote of 98 – 2, the Senate approved a measure that would put stiffer sanctions on Russia, and would also limit the powers of the president to lift those sanctions. Only Senators Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders voted against it. The White House plans to work with Republican senators in an effort to “tweak” the bill, giving back some of that power to the administration. They would prefer the freedom to ease sanctions on Moscow, if they deem it appropriate. Democrats are concerned that if allowed, the administration will scale the measure too far back. From POLITICO: The talk of Trump possibly vetoing the bill has been brought up, but it’s not something anyone expects to happen, at this time. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke against the sanctions earlier this week, suggesting that they might damage the working relationship between the U.S. and Russia, as it relates to dealing with terrorism. And apparently it really is an issue. They’re concerned that the White House might veto the bill. To date, however, support on both sides of the aisle is strong, as lawmakers seek to send a clear message to Moscow, that interfering in U.S. elections will not be tolerated. Link to the full article to read more