Sanctions Finally Pass Congress to End Preferred Trade With Russia, Expel from WTO, Sanction Human Rights Abusers

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UNITED STATES CONGRESS

Sanctions Finally Pass Congress to End Preferred Trade With Russia, Expel from WTO, Sanction Human Rights Abusers

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, and U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer, Chair of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, released the following statements following belated Senate passage today of legislation to strip Russia and Belarus of their status of Preferred Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) and reauthorize human rights Magnitsky sanctions, and of the Doggett-Blumenauer ban on Russian oil. Today also marks six weeks since the invasion began, and tomorrow will mark six weeks since Reps. Doggett and Blumenauer first introduced their original sanctions legislation. After this morning’s Senate approval, the House just approved the updated package, sending it to the President’s desk for his signature—and constituting the very first passage of sanctions in Congress since the invasion began.

On March 9, a revised version of the Doggett-Blumenauer legislation expel Russia from the World Trade Organization (WTO) in amended form to also ban Russian energy imports and hold human rights abusers accountable through the Global Magnitsky Act was approved by the House of Representatives in a resounding 414 – 17 vote. On March 17, the House finally voted 424-8 to end PNTR with the Russian Federation and to expel Russia from the World Trade Organization (WTO), as originally proposed in the Doggett-Blumenauer bill.

“Today, a full six weeks after Russia’s brutal invasion began, Congress has finally approved the first congressional sanctions package against Russia—including those we authored and introduced the day after the invasion got underway,” said Rep. Doggett. “With each day, Russia’s escalating war crimes become even more apparent. While the most important response needed remains to secure Ukrainians all the weapons they have requested, Congress is responding forcefully to Putin’s war of annihilation.”

“While it is unfortunate that it took so long to reach this point, it is a bright day for bipartisan action in Congress against Russia and Belarus,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, the chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. “For six weeks, Russia has perpetrated one of the most disturbing attacks in modern history against Ukraine, a sovereign nation. The United States and our allies must continue to use every tool at our disposal, short of armed conflict, against Putin, Lukashenko, and their cronies. The Ukrainian people deserve no less.”

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