The visa sanctions vary in severity, with Eritrea facing the harshest sanctions.

One camp believes the harshest sanctions will increase the pressure on the Russian government; the other wants to spare the general population.

If a similar bill passes the Senate, the final legislation would impose the harshest sanctions yet approved by Congress to protest Iran's nuclear program.

And the documents show regulators refraining from the harshest sanctions available to them, even as the list of complaints against NECC continued to grow.