Paul is taking issue with the way the Magnitsky sanctions are reauthorized as part of the bill that limits trade with Russia.
The original Magnitsky bill targeted “gross” violations of human rights. The language in the Russia trade bill would expand that to target “serious” human rights violations, codifying language used in a Trump-era executive order.
But Paul wants language put into the bill that would reinsert “gross” violation of human rights and define that as dealing with torture, cruel and inhumane treatment and indefinite detention, though Paul said he was open to including other actions in the definition.
Paul argued that language as written in the House-passed could be used to sanction individuals who deny access to abortions, a concern echoed by a group of House Republicans.
“It has to be in the body of it. I’m not voting on it. It has to be in the body” of the bill, Paul said about the change.