Here is a Reuters link on the Senate vote for Russia sanctions. The quote is from another Reuters article, because the one I was quoting from froze. Information is basically the same.:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday for new sanctions punishing Russia for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and to force President Donald Trump to get Congress’ approval before easing any existing sanctions.
The vote was 97 to two for the legislation, filed as an amendment to an Iran sanctions bill. It is intended to punish Russia over issues including alleged meddling in the election, annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region and support for the government of Syria in that country’s six-year-long civil war.
So it appears that 97 Senators feel that Russia meddled with our elections within the last year. Do you feel messing with our elections does NOT warrant this type of action? I also appears that they don’t want Trump to soften the sanctions. Thus if Putin does have dirt/photos/etc. to blackmail the President with, Congress appears to be taking away that power from Russia/Putin. So to paraphrase the quote of a Republican president of the past, the US can talk softly (Trump) and carry a big stick (Senate). Otherwise know as good cop/bad cop.
World class ignorance!