Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFEC flags McConnell campaign over suspected accounting errors Poll: 59 percent think president elected in November should name next Supreme Court justice Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE (R-Ky.) on Thursday said he has asked two key Senate panels to hold hearings on Russia sanctions and make suggestions for legislation.

McConnell met with Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker Robert (Bob) Phillips CorkerHas Congress captured Russia policy? Tennessee primary battle turns nasty for Republicans Cheney clashes with Trump MORE (R-Tenn.) and Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo Michael (Mike) Dean CrapoBottom line Davis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump Top GOP senator urges agencies to protect renters, banks amid coronavirus aid negotiations MORE (R-Idaho) on Wednesday night to discuss steps to advance legislation following President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki earlier this week.

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"I tasked the chairmen of the Banking and Foreign Relations committees with holding hearings on the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, and to recommend to the Senate additional measures that could respond to or deter Russian malign behavior," McConnell said in a statement Thursday.

Congress overwhelmingly passed Russia sanctions last year as part of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, despite pushback from the White House.

Senate leadership is under growing pressure to pass additional sanctions legislation following the Trump-Putin summit amid heightened concerns that Russia is trying to meddle in the November elections.

McConnell added on Thursday that he requested the hearings and recommendations on potential legislative steps as part of Congress's effort "to form part of any national response" to Russian interference in the United States or other countries.

GOP senators have been locked in a days-long debate over what they should do to try to crack down on Russia. One bill, which is gathering momentum among senators on both sides of the aisle, would slap new sanctions on Russia if the director of national intelligence finds that they interfere in future U.S. elections.

Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Democrats step up hardball tactics as Supreme Court fight heats up Press: Notorious RBG vs Notorious GOP MORE (R-Fla.) told reporters on Wednesday that lawmakers were discussing whether to send his legislation directly to the Senate floor since going through the committee process could slow down any legislative response.

Another bill, from Sen. Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerCook Political Report shifts Colorado Senate race toward Democrat Overnight Health Care: US coronavirus deaths hit 200,000 | Ginsburg's death puts future of ObamaCare at risk | Federal panel delays vote on initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting MORE (R-Colo.), would ask the State Department to determine if Russia is a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation that triggers U.S. sanctions.

The effort to move forward on Russia legislation comes as congressional Republicans have been reluctant to confront Trump on a range of issues, including immigration and trade. A showdown could spark backlash from the party's fervent base, where the president remains popular, just months before the midterms.

Republicans on Capitol Hill have released a flurry of statements in recent days saying that they disagreed with Trump's hesitancy to say Russia meddled in the 2016 election.

“The Intelligence Community Assessment of Russian Activities in the 2016 elections makes clear that President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at undermining public faith in our democratic process," McConnell said on Thursday.