FOREIGN POLICY/HOUSE OF REPS/IRAN/PAUL RYAN/RUSSIA: “U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday [6-22-17] he supported efforts to quickly move legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia and Iran that passed the Senate nearly unanimously but has stalled in the House.
Representative Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, ‘has indicated he wants to get moving on this quickly, and we want to honor that,’ Ryan told his weekly news conference.
The Countering Iran’s Destabilizing Activities Act, which also includes new sanctions against Russia, passed the Senate 98-2 last week, a vote that looked like it might complicate President Donald Trump’s desire for warmer relations with Moscow.
The measure must still pass the House before it can be sent to Trump to sign into law or veto. The House parliamentarian found the legislation violated a constitutional requirement that any bill affecting government revenues must originate in the House, something known as a ‘blue slip’ violation.
Democrats said they were skeptical about the explanation, noting that previous ‘blue slip’ issues had been resolved in a matter of minutes.”
-Patricia Zengerle, “House Speaker Ryan says supports quickly moving Iran, Russia sanctions bill,” Reuters, June 22, 2017 01:42pm