Democratic Leaders Release Statement Urging White House Not to Wait to Restart Stalled Russia Sanctions

Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Richard Neal (D-Mass.-01), Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee released the following statement: “Donald Trump already has ample authority to impose sanctions on the companies, individuals, and vessels propping up a Russian war machine that continues its deadly attacks on Ukraine. Congress does not need to greenlight new tariff authority for the President to impose those sanctions on Russia today. Delaying sanctions makes them less effective while the Kremlin continues to expand its schemes to procure foreign technology and funding. Ukrainians need our support now. “We urge the President to use his broad, existing sanctions authorities to target the companies, individuals, and vessels that enable Russia’s war machine, including actors operating in or supporting any one of seventeen different sectors of the Russian economy. This is just one way the United States used to regularly sanction all types of targets to degrade Russia’s access to critical supplies and funds it needs to sustain its war on Ukraine. “Open-source reports have identified numerous actors facilitating Russia’s procurement of critical goods and technology; setting up new payment mechanisms; generating revenue for its war machine; and enabling human rights abuses. This includes those who are circumventing the only sanctions President Trump has imposed under his Russia authority over 17 months. If the Administration keeps waiting, sanctions evaders will continue brazenly profiting while strengthening Russia’s hand.”