There was "real bipartisanship" on Capitol Hill when it came to approving sanctions against Russia, and Americans are "genuinely upset" about what Russia did in the 2016 election, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin said Thursday, while responding to President Donald Trump's tweet attacking Congress over the nation's relations with Russia.
"We had to tell them enough is enough, and when it came to the sanctions and trusting the president, we basically said we want to make sure the president will not lift these sanctions," the Illinois lawmaker told MSBNC's "Morning Joe" program.
Foreign policy does not normally drive elections, said Durbin, when asked about the potential political fallout over the sanctions bill. However, with Russia, Americans are concerned.
"We wanted to say to Russia, enough, hands off, we don't want you in our next election," Durbin told the program.
Meanwhile, the economy's numbers are expanding, but that could lead to people wondering how long they'll be able to hold their jobs, said Durbin.
"Corporate profits don't define it for most families," said Durbin. "It is the purchasing power, the real earning of wages."
He also responded to plans being proposed to stop state and local income tax deductions, saying that most Democrats believe in "basic principles" and that there should not be tax cuts for the highest income categories."
"We don't want to blow the deficit up," he said. "We want to have a wholesome debate for what the tax cut looks like in the end. They have not shown a great deal of dexterity."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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