The U.S. House of Representatives is considering legislation to ban the importation of Russian oil, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said late Sunday, as the Biden administration seeks further punitive measures to stop the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine.
The California Democratic told her colleagues in a letter that the House is “exploring” a bill that would ban the importation of oil and other Russian energy products into the United States.
It would also take steps to deny Russia access to the World Trade Organization and repeal normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, which has been aiding Moscow in its attack on Ukraine.
“The United States need not choose between our democratic values and our economic interests,” she wrote. “The administration and the Congress remain laser-focused on bringing down the higher energy costs for American families and our partners stemming Putin’s invasion.”
The announcement follows the administration of President Joe Biden directing Pelosi to put together a $10 billion humanitarian, security and economic assistance package for Ukraine and other Central European parties threatened by Russia’s aggressive behavior in the region.
Pelosi said she intends for the emergency package to be enacted later this week as part of an omnibus government funding legislation.
“As President Biden has made crystal clear, American troops will not go to war in Ukraine — but our nation can provide military equipment and support our allies who are supplying airplanes to Ukraine,” she wrote. “We must also help the one and a half million Ukrainian refugees fleeing their homes and escaping to other nations.”
Washington and its democratic allies have imposed drastic and wide-ranging sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, which began about a week and a half ago following months of a military buildup on Ukraine’s border.
But Russia’s attacks against Ukraine appear unaffected by the punitive measures as it continues to shell and bomb civilian and military targets within populated cities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on democratic leaders to do more to prevent the downfall of not only Ukraine but potentially also Europe.
Before Congress virtually on Saturday, Zelensky urged the U.S. lawmakers to stop buying Russia oil. Members who attended the bipartisan meeting paraphrased the president as having said that the ban would be one of the most powerful sanctions possible.
The United States imported 7.86 million barrels of petroleum per day in 2020, with Russia its third largest supplier, accounting for about 7% of all such imports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with Canada being by far the largest exporter at 52%.
Concerning crude oil, the United States imported 27.7 million barrels from Russia that year, representing a little more than 1% of all crude oil imports.
Amid the talk of a Russia oil import ban, the cost of crude oil surged to a 13-year-high of $130.50 a barrel.
Earlier on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told various news outlets that the Biden administration was looking to supply fighter jets to the embattled Ukrainians and was considering the oil ban.
The Biden administration, he said, has been in “very active discussions” with European allies about banning Russia oil and gas while bolstering its resource supply amid an energy crisis.
“We are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way at the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil while making sure that there is still an appropriate supply of oil on world markets,” he told Jake Tapper on CNN.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, said in an interview Sunday with CBS’ Face the Nation that such a ban could be put in place by either the White House or Congress, but either way the measure has “very strong bipartisan support.”
“It’s anathema, I think, to many of us in Congress” to attempt to cripple Russia’ economy with sanctions but then prop it up by purchasing oil and gas from the Kremlin, he said.
Schiff said knowing the effect the ban could have on global prices, Biden wanted to make such they fully understood the consequences of enforcing such a move first.
He was also was quick to tempter expectations, stating that Russia may find other buys for its oil and gas once the import ban was in place and that it may not have the impacted many think it may.
“It’s why we have to continue to explore additional ways to really cruse the Russian economy,” he said.
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Fine and good, but the other side of that coin is we need to revert back to reopening and expanding our domestic fossil fuel industry. We need to regain our energy independence.
That is why i have only given her PARTIAL credit, for her “WE need to stop buying russian gas and oil” comment..
BECAUSE SHE STILL REFUSES to even mention doing anything to REOPEN A SINGLE US Gas plant or pipeline, that biden shut the hell down..
“The U.S. House of Representatives is considering (only thinking about) legislation to ban the importation of Russian oil, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said late Sunday, as the Biden administration seeks further punitive measures to stop the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine.”
But NOT considering restoring the U.S. to its former state of
“Energy Independent.”
Texas oil is BAD, Russia oil is GOOD.
Alaskan oil is BAD, Iran oil is GOOD.
Pennsylvania oil is BAD, Venezuelan oil is GOOD.
U.S. oil is BAD, our enemy’s oil is GOOD.
Under President Trump’s “Energy Independent” I was paying $2.75 per gallon.
Under puppet president F… Joe Biden I am paying $5.10 per gallon and still gas is going up every day.
The Treasonous, dishonest, destructive, Socialist Democrat Party game plan is to lie, cheat and steal in order to take total control of the American people,
increase Taxes on everything and bring American commerce and economy to its knees and to promote Socialism.
Then access power and retain it by any means available –
no matter the costs to the people, the government or the nation.
This treasonous, dishonest, destructive, corrupt, immoral, socialist Democrat Party has become our country’s most destructive and deadliest ENEMY!
Don’t i know it.. LAST WEEK, i was at 2.29 a gal. YESTERDAY it was 2.79!
WAR is a terrible thing, and I don’t wish it on anyone.
But you are suppose to be warred about US The AMERICANS, That cant afford the increases of GAS, FOOD and UTILITYS.
WE cant increase our SS payments and most of us are to old to go out there and get jobs.
Well maybe we can charge our children $30.00 dollars and Hour to watch and Babysit our Grandchildren to make ends meet.
BUT as we keep seeing. THEY CARE NOT WHAT Happens to american citizens.. JUST LOOK AT How ambivalent they are on the bloody border.
This war between the Ukraine and Russia has been planned for quite some time by the “Power Elites” and it has taken our attention away from the Covid-19 pandemic nonsense. Nostradamus the French prophet/astrologer predicted over 500 years ago that in 2022 Russia would invade the Ukraine and much of Western Europe bringing about WW3. We are witnessing that now.
too bad that for all the supposed education the left is supposed to have- harvard- princeton -penn-don’t any of them teach
economics –oh sorry these idiots are too busy becoming law grads –guess lawyers don’t need brains –
“The administration and the Congress remain laser-focused on bringing down the higher energy costs.”,,,,,Laser focused and Razor wire protected. With Diesel at $6.00 a gallon, truckers can[t afford to Drive to the Capitol and protest, let alone afford to transport our food. If we were to pump our own CLEAN oil we would have no need to buy dirty Russian oil to bail out the Democrats from the Inflation ditch they threw us in before the next election. Strange indeed how COVID has totally disappeared from their list of Crisis opportunities to never let go to waste. Goes to show you what a fraud it was all along.
The time for mulling has over, the time for deciding is here if not already passed. The situation has been building ever since the shutting down of the industry in January 20, 2019. It was a short-sighted action to molify the radical special interests over the real needs of the country’s safety and the well-being of its citizens, but still they wrangle as if it will go away. To undo what they have done would be admitting they were wrong and infuiate the green-weenies and their intollerable policies.
washington d.c. is tone deaf when it comes to we the people.
the inflation and high energy prices WILL NOT effect them one bit.
but the average law abiding citizen must be made to SUFFER by the hands of the demoncrat socialist party.
say what you want but we will not last the biden presidency not even the midterm election will stop them.
Ugly old stupid cement face hag! Nobody cares what she thinks, if she can think.
Gee, that’s a quick change of attitude, Nancy. Covering your sorry ***** again, huh? You and Joe ***** up our petroleum dominance and now you want to fix it like it’s your idea all along? Lying weasels, all.