Washington, D.C– Kansas U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. and Jerry Moran today teamed up on a letter to President Joe Biden calling on him to ban the U.S. purchase of Russian oil. Additionally, the Senators joined efforts to introduce legislation that would ban the import of Russian oil should President Biden fail to act. The Senators’ efforts come ahead of President Biden’s address to the nation and in response to Russia’s unjustifiable war against the sovereign nation of Ukraine. The Senators issued the following statements:
“First and foremost, President Biden needs to restart America’s energy production and quit financing Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine by continuing to purchase crude oil from Russia. Under the previous Administration, our nation was energy independent but President Biden reversed course and turned hostile nations like Russia into America’s gas station,” said Senator Marshall. “Make no mistake, if President Biden fails to act, we will continue to work in Congress to hold Vladimir Putin accountable.”
“Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine must be a wakeup call to the Biden administration to maximize home-grown energy and not diminish America’s energy independence,” said Senator Moran. “Russia is America’s third largest supplier of oil. Each day the U.S. and our European allies are sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Russia for its energy resources. We can no longer subsidize Russian aggression. We need an all-of-the-above approach to energy independence, and it can’t be accomplished without enabling our oil and gas producers to play a larger role. The Biden administration must reinstate the Keystone XL Pipeline and promote sensible solutions that boost jobs at home and keep money out of the pockets of our adversaries.”
You may click HERE to view Senators Moran and Marshall’s letter to President Biden.
“The United States is currently buying approximately 700,000 barrels of oil and other petroleum products per day from Russia amid its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” the Senators wrote. “We should be seeking to end Putin’s conflict before it deteriorates even further—it is time to institute an embargo on Russian energy exports.
“Further, in order to mitigate any price shocks caused as a result of an embargo on Russian energy exports, we encourage you to reevaluate energy policies which have curtailed domestic production of oil and natural gas,” the Senators continued. “The United States of America must utilize its abundant natural resources, and relationships with energy producing allies, as leverage against a despotic Russian regime that is intent on disrupting peace and threatening global stability.”
Senator Marshall and Moran’s bill swiftly moves to stop financing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and removes Russian fuels from American supply chains. The prohibition in the bill would take effect 15 days after enactment and would exclude shipments that are already in transit at that time. Just yesterday, Canada announced it banned imports of crude oil from Russia. You may click HERE to view Senator Marshall’s legislation. In addition to Senator Moran, Energy Committee Republican Leader Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rick Scott (R-FL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Hoeven (R-ND), and John Cornyn (R-TX) have cosponsored Senator Marshall’s legislation.
Sen. Marshall’s plan to Unleash America’s Energy Independence:
- Immediately Restart the Keystone XL Pipeline.
- Remove burdensome regulations from America’s energy producers.
- Increase natural gas exports to European allies and other global partners.
- Give certainty to oil and gas producers that credit will remain available to them by maintaining the independence of the Federal Reserve and withdrawing the nomination of Sarah Raskin.
- Encourage FERC to reverse their decision to add new barriers to natural gas pipeline approvals.
- Directly instruct the Department of the Interior to allow new oil and gas leases on public lands.
