President Donald Trump has signed a package of stiff financial sanctions against Russia that passed Congress with overwhelming support, two White House officials said Wednesday.
The Senate passed the bill, 98-2, two days after the House pushed the measure through by an overwhelming margin, 419-3. Both were veto-proof numbers.
Two White House officials said that the president signed the bill Wednesday morning.
They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly before the official statement.
The White House initially wavered on whether the president would sign the measure into law. But in a statement late Friday, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had "reviewed the final version and, based on its responsiveness to his negotiations, approves the bill and intends to sign it."
Moscow, anticipating last week that Trump would sign the order, responded to the bill by ordering a reduction in the number of U.S. diplomats in Russia and closing the U.S. Embassy's recreation retreat.( NBCWashington)