Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked the Senate’s swift passage of a bill to halt trade relations with Russia. He warned that language in it that could give presidents overly broad sanctioning authority under the Magnitsky Act.
He said the “original” version of the “Magnitsky Act allowed sanctions against people who committed specific human rights abuses such as torture, extrajudicial killing.”
“The new Magnitsky Act doesn’t define human rights abuses, and a president who argues abortion is a human right could allow sanctions against a person or country who denies abortion services,” Paul continued.
Paul warns it will give a U.S. president broader authority to sanction a person for human rights abuses under Magnitsky Act.
Paul wants a clarified definition to prevent US presidents from abusing the power, and you know Biden and future presidents will do exactly that.
It gives far too much power to President’s to sanction anyone, anywhere, for any reason.
This was slipped into the Russian sanctions bill on pages 19,20,21. It gives the President broad authority to sanction virtually anyone, anywhere in the world, whether they are connected to Russia or not, according to Rep. Massie.
Interventionists at the State Department are doing the happy dance now. pic.twitter.com/eQO9ieVNQd
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 17, 2022
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