Washington, Aug. 9 -- The Russia sanctions bill passed by the US Senate on Friday, which authorises tariffs of up to 100% on India, China and three other countries for buying Russian energy, faces three separate obstacles before it can reach President Donald Trump for signature - the US House of Representatives is in recess until August 31, a possible September vote could collide with a Trump-Xi Jinping summit, and a coalition of House Democrats and at least one senior Republican are working to strip the tariff provisions altogether.

The House timing alone leaves a narrow window. Members return from summer recess on August 31, break again through most of October and early November as they return to their districts to fight midterm electi...