House sends Russia sanctions bill to Trump

What happened

The House passed a Russia sanctions bill advocated by Graham and sent the measure to President Trump. The action moves the legislation from Congress to the president, who decides whether to approve or reject it.

Sanctions are legal restrictions used as a foreign-policy tool. When Congress passes sanctions legislation, the executive branch is generally responsible for carrying out the law after it takes effect. The agencies involved and the practical effects depend on the requirements written into the measure.

The House action does not, by itself, make the bill law. Presidential action and the constitutional review period are the next parts of the process.

What happens at the White House

Trump can sign the legislation, making it law, or veto it and return it to Congress with his objections. Congress can attempt to override a veto, but doing so requires support from two-thirds of the members voting in both the House and Senate.

The president also can take no action. A bill generally becomes law without a signature if the president does not return it within 10 days, excluding Sundays, while Congress remains able to receive a veto. If Congress adjourns during that period in a way that prevents the bill’s return, the measure does not become law; that outcome is commonly called a pocket veto.

The next formal development will be Trump’s response or the expiration of the constitutional review period. If the measure becomes law, attention will shift to how the executive branch implements its sanctions requirements.