MOSCOW, August 6 (HS/RIA Novosti) - US senators are considering a new option for expedited passage of the Russia sanctions bill, which would include a vote on an amendment to the tariff provisions, Punchbowl reported.

On Tuesday, Punchbowl reported that US Senator Raphael Warnock blocked expedited passage of the Russia sanctions bill in the upper house of the US Congress.

Dems ran a hotline this afternoon that included the Warnock-[Bill]Cassidy amendment which would tweak the tariff language in the bill. A sign that a deal to expedite final passage could be getting closer, Punchbowl reporter Andrew Desiderio said on X on Wednesday.

Last week, the US Senate, in a second procedural vote, approved by a simple majority a motion to proceed to consideration of the bill. However, the House of Representatives went into recess until August 31, further delaying its consideration.

The draft sanctions legislation provides for a reduction in proposed tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas from 500% to 100%. At the same time, the bill would set the rate of duty for all goods imported into the United States from Russia at 500%. The document would also seek sanctions against the Russian Central Bank, Sberbank, VTB, and Gazprombank banks.

On July 14, US President Donald Trump said his government was looking into the bill with a good chance of the US Congress passing it, adding that the decision would honor the late senator Lindsey Graham (listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia).

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar