Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin led a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, in introducing a bill Thursday that would ban oil imports from Russia, in response to its war on Ukraine. The bill would declare a national emergency with respect to the country’s national security, foreign policy, and economy.
The bill directs the president to prohibit imports of crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, LNG, and coal from Russia. The president has already had the authority to take these actions since 1917, and this new legislation does not grant additional authority. The ban would be in place during the national emergency and either the president or Congress would be able to terminate the emergency and the import ban.
“The world is watching in shock as Russia wages an unprovoked war on Ukraine, killing innocents as it attempts to destroy a fragile democracy. While the Biden administration has taken noteworthy steps to try to convince Vladimir Putin and his regime to stand down, we need an all-encompassing approach that uses every viable tool at our disposal. By leaving Russia’s energy exports untouched, the United States is ignoring one of our most potent options to stop the bloodshed. We must ban Russia’s energy imports into the U.S. so that Americans aren’t forced to help finance their growing atrocities and halt the Russian aggression. I’m proud to sponsor this bill with Senator Manchin and urge the Senate to pass it immediately,” said Sen. Murkowski.
“The entire world is on edge as Vladimir Putin terrorizes the sovereign democratic nation of Ukraine. The U.S. cannot continue to purchase more than half a million barrels of oil per day because in doing so, we are emboldening Putin to continue using his greatest weapon of war – energy exports,” said Manchin. “The Ban Russian Energy Imports Act would declare a national emergency with respect to Russian aggression and immediately prohibit the importation of Russian energy products. Importantly, this bipartisan bill shows our strong commitment to stand behind the valiant efforts of the Ukrainian people and the measures our allies in Europe are taking to rebuke Putin and his continued aggression. I urge Leader Schumer to quickly bring this bipartisan bill to the floor and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.”
Manchin chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Murkowski is the senior member of that committee. Their “Ban Russian Energy Imports Act” was also signed by Senators John Tester (D-MT), Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rob Portman (R-OH).
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) will introduce companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 2021, the United States imported an average of 670,000 barrels of oil and petroleum products, with a high of 848,000 barrels per day in June 2021, with imports up 24% in 2021 over 2020.
The U.S. has also imported Russian LNG and coal despite having some of the largest reserves domestically. This import strategy puts American national security at risk and supports Vladimir Putin’s ability to stay in power.
We all have opinions on petroleum and climate change. We need to focus on the fact that we all use petroleum and not just for burning in our cars and homes. We are funding Putin’s war machine and all its atrocities. Putin’s oil should stay in the ground and ours be used to supply the world. Just look at all the fires, explosions, bombings, tanks, planes, etc. This is climate change and it needs to be stopped.
By continuing to buy Russian oil, Biden is supporting Putin and Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine. Clearly, he needs to be impeached.
Good news, we need more bipartisanship supporting American jobs and denouncing the evils of tyranny. There are shovel ready jobs where production of oil can begin securing our country and our freedom as long as we support Putin by buying his blood soaked oil we are complicit in his war.
Is it just me but the gas prices just went up in unison overnight. Like 60-80 cents?
She is part of the cabal trying to destroy us.
LISA quote
…”We’re going to see price increases. Nobody wants to see that. This is going to hurt. But we need to recognize Europe is in the midst of a war w/ Russia. Innocent people are dying. We have not been in as volatile as a situation as anytime in my life.“…
None of these people put gas in a car of oil in their tank.
Europe s buying Russia gas to fund this supposed war. Enough Russia Russia Russia i’m not buying it.
CHuCK
Chuck – Putin is killing innocents and you’re worried about 60-80 cents?
Imagi:
Putin is killing innocents. Yes.
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What will be the impact on life across the board if gasoline/diesel goes up 80-90 cents?
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Grocery store shelves are already light on stock, and what is available is increasing in price rapidly. Much faster than incomes. Do you think children will be eating balanced nutritious meals when it costs twice as much to deliver the food to the stores? Do you think the elderly will be able to afford the food or medicines they need when the costs rise faster than their income can handle?
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How many people will decide to skip that doctor’s visit because they need the fuel to get to work? How many addicts in recovery will relapse because going to the meetings they rely on to stay sober get back-burnered because they cannot afford to fill up the tank?
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The natives living in remote villages, dependent on aviation for food and drugs will be forced to go without. Will the medevac service have enough fuel to fly an elder out in an emergency?
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Do you really think it is all about the wallet? it isn’t. There is not a single aspect of anyone’s life that is not adversely impacted by rising fuel prices.
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Putin may kill a bunch of innocents, but that devastation will be NOTHING compared to the effect of $7+ a gallon fuel. And, if you think the cost will level out at $7, you are not paying attention.
So there’s nothing in this bill to increase production on domestic energy needs. What a joke. And the joke’s on us.
Deafening silence in the comments section when Lisa does something that is undeniably good for the State of Alaska, and is clearly the right thing to do for the World.
Come on folks, can’t you get creative and somehow twist this story into something about what a RINO she is, how evil she it, and how she needs to be voted out of office? Don’t disappoint us all!
OK. Valid point.
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What has Lisa done for AK during this term, the last six years? Please provide a few examples.
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Oh… I know one. Her “Present” vote on Justice Kavanaugh guaranteed his appointment to the bench. That was good for the nation as a whole if you ask me. Aside from that (what I consider a cowardly way to appease special interest groups) she has done… well…. what exactly?
Follow the money. The Biden administration is reluctant to ban the import of Russian oil. Is it because the Biden crime family is profiting from this business, and the “Big Guy” doesn’t want to give up his 10 percent?
Hey, wasn’t the Ukrainian Government involved in trying to help Hillary shore up her Trump Russia story? And didn’t Biden’s kid, Hunter have some sweetheart deal worked out with a company in the Ukraine where he earned millions? Didn’t Joe Biden, (then V.P.) shake down the Ukrainian government by threatening to withhold a billion bucks in U.S. aid unless an investigation of a company that his son was involved with get called off? Huh, imagine that. And didn’t Obama also work, using American assets to overthrow the old government of the Ukraine? Didn’t Reagan assure Gorbachev that NATO would never include any of the old Soviet Block, you know like Poland? This because of that particular paranoia that Russians have from having hostile countries on their borders. Kind of like Russian missiles in Cuba were back when I was a kid.
Much to consider here. But then it requires actually learning about regional conflicts and their history instead of the thirty second sound bites from our corrupt political class on propaganda television.
Putin is no Saint and clearly not as smart as we thought he was either. Question is… are we smart enough to recognize when Lisa is playing us?
All very valid points & much to get your critical thinking hats on! All the Bush’s, Clintons, Obama’s, Biden’s money laundry place, you guessed it, Ukraine! And the infamous MSM vilifying Putin. I wonder why?
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Huh, the MSM was trying to pass of video framed graphics (about the so called ‘war’ in Ukraine)…
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All this reminds me of mass formation psychosis. Quit watching the fake news! After all they attempt to tell-a-vision…
Lisa Murkowski, in her infinite wisdom, thinks that we are going to teach the Russians a lesson.
Then where the hell is the US going to get it’s oil? Lisa has already blocked Alaska oil development by voting to confirm brain-dead Joe Biden’s Interior Secretary, an oil development killer.
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Lisa, if you can’t lead, and are no longer capable of making any rational decisions for Alaska, please go to your daddy, Joe Biden, and leave the thinking to more intelligent people.
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You are dumber than we all realize.
Murkowski is fighting for Alaska bs
Lisa loves me this I know, because colonel chipmunk told me so! But seriously folks, they need to hear from us daily, if for no other reason than to lower their office moral. Furthermore, I see no reason to be polite when speaking to them. They are the enemy.
You can always can count on murkowski to do the will of the people. Her political career depends on public opinion of her, and she must appease to several groups. God must love murkowski and perhaps she still has Gods work to be done through her. Kelly is going to have fight very very hard to be next u.s senator; No great amount of disapproving comments lisa did this-lisa didn’t do that will help. Because of white house blunders, she got a lot she can use to maintain a positive public impression. Thanks to rcv plus d.c blunders, if murkowski wins another 6 years kelly can try agian alongside two more geniune republican senate candidates. You know who i think make another good u.s. senator other than Tsibaka is Dunleavy.
Lisa loves tyranny, and murdering babies. Kelly does not. Easy choice.
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