Stop the Untouchables. Justice for Sergei Magnitsky.

Business groups keep up pressure to pass Russia trade bill

The Hill

Business groups are optimistic that Congress can clear legislation to normalize trade relations with Russia by next week, but intend to keep up the pressure until it’s done.

The Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday that repealing Jackson-Vanik and extending permanent normal trade relations to Moscow would provide a boost to the sagging economy.

The bill is feeding off the momentum from the Senate Finance Committee, which unanimously approved a measure last week that combines the repeal language with the human-rights legislation that would punish Russian officials involved in the death of whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in prison after reporting government corruption.

Bill Miller, senior vice president of government affairs of BRT, called last week’s 24-0 vote “unprecedented” and is hoping that the House Ways and Means Committee will approve its bipartisan bill on Thursday and send it to the floor early next week.

“It looks like we are very close to getting Russia PNTR done,” Milller told reporters.

Passage in the House would give the Senate a chance to clear the bill for President Obama’s signature before Russia joins the World Trade Organization on Aug. 22.