Rep. Doggett’s Bipartisan Bill to Help Ukrainian Reconstruction Advances out of House Foreign Affairs Committee

December 13, 2023

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), a senior member of the House Ways & Means Committee, released the following statement regarding the approval of his bipartisan Russian War Crimes in Ukraine Tax Act, H.R. 6416, by the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC). The bill would support Ukrainian reconstruction by taxing frozen Russian sovereign assets in connection with the invasion of Ukraine.

“President Zelensky’s message has been clear from the start: a Ukrainian victory is a victory for democracies everywhere,” said Rep. Doggett. “While some of my Republican colleagues continue to pander to Putin and delay the timely delivery of military aid to Ukraine, I thank Chairman Michael McCaul, Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, and Committee members for supporting efforts to force the Kremlin to begin paying for at least some of the extensive damage it’s caused. As Putin and his cronies commit war crimes against the people of Ukraine, my legislation ensures that earnings from Russian sovereign assets frozen in the United States go directly into Ukrainian reconstruction and humanitarian assistance—urgent aid that can be applied now without waiting until the war is won.”

“Our American leadership should encourage our European allies, who have a far larger amount of frozen Russian assets, to join in this effort. Together, the United States and our allies must ensure that Ukraine has not only the resources required to defeat Russia’s illegal aggression but also the resources to rebuild and recover,” Doggett continued.

Introduced in November, with Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC), the two members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus are joined by 55 House colleagues. Rep. Doggett testified in support of the bill before the HFAC committee where it gained backing from Chairman McCaul.

The U.S. and its allies have frozen nearly $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets. The US and the UK expressed support in recent months for the EU to tax windfall profits generated by such assets to cover reconstruction costs. According to the New York Times, the EU is beginning the process of using revenue generated from frozen Russian central bank assets—potentially providing Ukraine up to $16.25 billion by 2027.

The Russian War Crimes in Ukraine Tax Act positions the U.S. to work with EU allies in ensuring that those committing war crimes start to pay for the damage they’ve inflicted. Tax revenue generated from this legislation would flow into a Ukrainian Reconstruction Trust Fund for reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine.