Sanctions Bill Would Give Trump Sweeping New Tariff Powers

The sanctions legislation that moved forward in the Senate this week goes beyond enacting new financial restrictions on Russia and Iran. It also gives President Trump broad new powers to impose tariffs on imports from some of the world’s largest economies. The bipartisan bill, which was designed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican, was intended to demonstrate that Congress is unified in its desire to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But tucked inside the legislation are tools that would give the Trump administration sweeping discretion…