There is a lot Congress could do to better protect U.S. elections, and a lot Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not allowed lawmakers to achieve. Now, two senators are offering one more opportunity.
Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., are urging colleagues negotiating this year's defense spending bill to include an amendment in that legislation that they believe would make Russia less likely to repeat its 2016 interference. The provision would mirror parts of the duo's stand-alone Deter Act.
The House bill would impose additional sanctions on Russia's sovereign debt immediately and make them difficult to remove. Van Hollen and Rubio instead suggest readying sanctions that would take effect in the event of future interference. It's a smart strategy.
The senators' suggestion has another advantage: Because there is a small stock of sovereign debt available, they would include a panoply of other punishments, including blocking transactions with Russia's energy, banking and defense sectors, as well as sanctioning oligarchs and other figures participating in any interference efforts.
Editorial on 08/07/2019