House Democrats will move forward with bipartisan legislation to ban Russian energy imports as soon as Wednesday, despite President Biden already announcing a nearly identical embargo.
Lawmakers were still finalizing the bill text when Mr. Biden announced sanctions on energy from Russia. House Democratic leaders then said they planned to pass a standalone bill anyway.
“We will have a confluence objective and result, I think, [between] the House, the Senate and the president,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, told reporters.
It was bipartisan pressure from Capitol Hill that forced the White House to reverse course and impose a ban before Congress could pass the measure. The U.S. is the first country to prohibit Russian oil imports, which accounted for roughly 8% of total U.S. oil imports last year, according to the Energy Information Administration. European Union officials have said they will reduce their reliance on Russian oil but have stopped short of a full ban.
In a letter to colleagues, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed a sense of urgency and said to expect a vote on Tuesday. However, Democrats later postponed the vote until Wednesday due to a lack of GOP support needed for swift passage, according to a Democratic leadership aide.
“Because this legislation is an urgent imperative – both morally and for our security interests – the House will consider this legislation on the Floor today,” the California Democrat wrote. “It is our hope that we have a strong, bipartisan vote.”
Democratic leaders in the Senate, however, would not commit to holding a vote after the House advances its measure.
Given Mr. Biden’s executive order, Democrats appeared split on whether legislation was still necessary. Some were concerned it would tie the administration’s hands if the sanctions needed to be altered or lifted.
In addition to banning Russian energy, the bill is expected to halt normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, and it would reauthorize and strengthen legislation that makes it easier to slap more sanctions on Russia.
Mr. Biden, responding to the growing bipartisan pressure to impose energy sanctions, was previously opposed because it will likely increase already record-high prices at the pump. The U.S. received an average of 672,000 barrels of oil each day from Russia last year, a number that equated to supplying Moscow with tens of millions of dollars per day.
Despite the impact on gasoline prices, lawmakers had planned to ban Russian energy with or without the White House’s blessing. As of Tuesday, the average price for a regular gallon of gas was at an all-time high of $4.17, according to AAA. Oil market prices had already shot up to roughly $130 per barrel.
“This is a step we are taking to inflict further pain on Putin, but there will be costs here in the United States as well,” Mr. Biden said in remarks from the White House. “Defending freedom is going to cost us as well in the U.S.”
Democrats have also conceded there could be consequences both at the pump and the polls, given their party’s control of Washington amid an energy cost crisis. Still, Democratic leaders have reiterated the importance of standing up against a world leader who declared war on a sovereign nation without being provoked.
“Our [House] majority is on the line,” Mr. Hoyer said. “But what’s on the line really is freedom, sovereignty, a world that operates consistent with international law, consistent with every principle of the United Nations.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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