OREANDA-NEWS The US Senate on Tuesday was unable to proceed to the vote on the bill, which provides for the introduction of sanctions for assistance to the government of Syria.

Less than two-thirds of a hundred senators supported the document entitled "Strengthening America's security in the Middle East". Democrats initially said that they would not vote for any bill, not to end the "shutdown". As a result, only 56 senators voted for further consideration of the bill with the necessary 60 votes. After that, the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, introduced the document for new consideration.

A number of Federal agencies in the US do not work or work with restrictions since December, 22 due to lack of budget: Donald Trump requires that the documents include 5.6 billion dollars for the construction of the wall on the border with Mexico, the Democrats oppose it.

The document, blocked by senators, proposes to consolidate in the form of law various sanctions against Syria, acting on the basis of decrees of the President of the United States, which the Head of State will not be able to cancel without the approval of Congress. In addition, the document introduces restrictions against Syria's closest allies — Russia and Iran for military and other assistance to Damascus. Sanctions have traditionally included the blocking of accounts and property of legal and natural persons in US jurisdiction, the denial and revocation of U.S. visas for such persons.

According to the document, the sanctions include "a foreign person who is a military contractor, mercenary or paramilitary group, consciously acting as a military in Syria on behalf of or on behalf of the government of Syria, the government of the Russian Federation or the government of Iran".

In addition, sanctions are provided for virtually any cooperation with the Syrian government, including in the production of hydrocarbons in this country, the supply of aircraft and spare parts for military needs.

In the bill, Russia, along with the authorities of Syria and Iran, is actually accused of air strikes on civilians and civilian objects, the siege of settlements and preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid there. Article 331 provides that sanctions may be suspended if Moscow, Damascus and Tehran cease such actions. An exception can also be made for humanitarian reasons, as well as if it is in the "interests of national security" of the United States.

At the same time, the document obliges the President within 180 days to provide Congress with a strategy for humanitarian assistance to the population of Syria, and the US Treasury — to make a conclusion about whether the Central Bank of Syria is engaged in money laundering, and if so, to impose sanctions against him.