Key facts
- Stanton said Congress passed a bipartisan bill to sanction Russia and Trump unilaterally decided not to implement it.
- Trump's October executive order waived energy sanctions against Russia and top purchasers of Russian energy, Stanton said.
- Stanton alleged the waiver meant Trump had changed sides and was more supportive of Putin.
- Sens. Bennet, Sanders, Van Hollen and Duckworth said they will oppose a spending patch lacking Iran war funding restrictions.
- The budget deadline is December 11, the report said.
Representative Greg Stanton, an Arizona Democrat, said in an interview aired November 15, 2026 that his party should use Congress's power of the purse to change US foreign policy toward Russia. He spoke with Chris Stirewalt, host of "The Hill Sunday."
Stanton said Congress had passed a bipartisan bill to impose sanctions on Russia and that Trump had unilaterally decided not to implement it. He said Congress is an equal branch of government and is not subservient to Trump.
In October, Trump issued an executive order that waived energy sanctions against Russia and the top purchasers of Russian energy, according to the report. Lawmakers had hoped the sanctions legislation would limit Putin's ability to fund the war against Ukraine.
Stanton alleged that because of the waiver Trump had "changed sides and was much more supportive of Putin." He said too many Republican members of Congress who supported Ukraine stayed silent as the change was made, and that a Democratic majority would bring a significant change in US funding priorities.
Trump defended the waiver in a post on Truth Social, writing that sanctions would have placed Russian hostage negotiations in "a complete and total halt." He said the US "was not required to give anything in return" for the release of Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen detained by Russia.
The report said the budget deadline is December 11, and that Senators Michael Bennet, Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen and Tammy Duckworth said in a joint statement they will oppose any short-term spending patch that does not include language restricting the administration from using appropriated funds to continue the war against Iran.