House Passes Legislation to Ban Russian Oil, Further Sanction Russia

March 09, 2022

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) voted to pass a strong, bipartisan package to stop the import of Russian energy products into the United States and further isolate Russia from the global economy.

“We will not subsidize Putin’s unprovoked, unjustified war on Ukraine, and that includes importing Russian gas and oil. President Biden has shown us his commitment to holding Putin accountable with escalating sanctions, and Congress has swiftly moved to shore up these actions with today’s bill – further isolating Russia from the world and leaving it weakened strategically, economically, and diplomatically,” said Representative Huffman. “Defending freedom has costs, but this doesn’t have to be a choice between standing up for democracy and protecting economic interests. Congress is focused on ensuring the stability of global oil markets, diversifying our energy supply, and preventing Big Oil vultures from exploiting this crisis by price gouging Americans. But the real answer to Putin’s war is to hit him where it hurts: launch a Marshall Plan for clean energy and end the world’s planet-killing addiction to fossil fuels.”

This legislation contains three major provisions that hold Putin accountable and weaken Russia. The bill will:

  • Ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States.  This will cut off a major source of revenue for Putin.  Separately, as we work to diminish the Russian economy, we remain laser-focused on bringing down energy costs for American families and our partners.
  • Take steps to review Russia’s access to the World Trade Organization and explore how we can further diminish Russia in the global economy.  
  • Reauthorize and strengthen the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act so that the United States can impose further sanctions on Russia.  In 2012, the Congress took bipartisan action with the Magnitsky Act to impose sanctions on human rights abusers in Russia, while also normalizing trade relations.  This standard was expanded in 2016 to apply globally: broadening the human rights abuses that can be punished with sanctions and bolstering coordination with our partners.  Our new bill extends Global Magnitsky so that the United States can continue to punish Russia for its heinous attacks on Ukrainian civilians and its violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Rep. Huffman has long been an advocate for holding Russia accountable for their aggression towards Ukraine, attacks on Democracy, and their ability to manipulate energy supplies to our allies in Europe. In 2018 he introduced the Countering Russian Power Plays Act in an effort to impose economic sanctions on the people and companies working on the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project that was designed to allow Russia to exert greater control over the energy stability of America’s European allies.

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