Story highlights In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, the Senate voted 97 to 2 to approve the sanctions

The new Russia sanctions would create a congressional review process if the executive branch eases current sanctions

(CNN) The Senate on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to enact new sanctions against Russia and make it difficult for President Donald Trump to lift them.

In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, the Senate voted 97 to two to approve the sanctions, with only Republicans Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky voting against.

The Russia sanctions amendment was added to an Iranian sanctions bill on the Senate floor after a deal was struck earlier this week between the Republican and Democratic heads of the Senate Foreign Relations and Banking Committees.

The vote was overshadowed by Wednesday's shooting at a congressional Republican baseball practice — two senators were there, Rand Paul and Jeff Flake of Arizona — but the Senate kept on its schedule, and the bill is expected to be passed by the end of the week.

The new Russia sanctions would create a congressional review process if the executive branch eases current sanctions. It also imposes new sanctions in a number of categories, including those "conducting malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government" and "supplying weapons to the Assad regime."

Read More