The U.S. House of Representatives will most likely debate on the repeal of the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik Amendment and the so-called Magnitsky List in November, U.S. congressman Sander Levin said.
Last month the U.S. Senate Finance Committee approved a bill combining a repeal of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment and a measure aiming to punish Russian officials involved in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
“The House could take up both bills in September, but there are only a handful of legislative days in that session before Congress goes home to campaign, so there's little likelihood the bills can get done then. Essentially, the Republicans are putting it off until after the election,” House Ways and Means Committee ranking Democrat Sander Levin said.
The House of Representatives lawmakers are leaving for a five-week summer vacation at the end of this week. On November 6 the United States will be holding presidential and House of Representative elections, as well as election of the one third of the Senate.
The Senate began studying the issue in mid-March and also amendments from Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, including proposals for visa sanctions against Russians allegedly involved in the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a tax lawyer working for the Hermitage Capital investment company, who died in custody in Russia in 2009.
Russia has warned it will respond to the adoption of the Magnitsky bill in kind, imposing restrictions on U.S. officials.
The Jackson-Vanik Amendment, passed in 1974, barred favorable trade relations with the Soviet Union because it would not let Jewish citizens freely emigrate. The restrictions imposed by Jackson-Vanik are often waived, but remain in place and are a thorn in the side of Russia-U.S. trade relations.
