Congress closer to banning imports of Russian oil and gas

House lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill Monday that would ban Russian fossil fuel energy imports – crude oil, petroleum products, liquid natural gas, and coal – into the United States.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), the bill’s sponsor, said he has gathered 45 co-sponsors – 33 Democrats and 12 Republicans – for the legislation. He also claims it has been endorsed by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

This is the companion to the Senate bill introduced by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AL).

Gottmeier said that support for a ban has grown because of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s app and “as people watch the atrocities unfold on television before their eyes.”

“I believe people realize that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has used energy as a weapon of war,” Gottmeier said, describing how his constituents had been calling his office to urge Congress to “hit Putin where it hurts.”

A recent poll found that 80% of Americans, including majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, said the U.S. should stop buying Russian oil. A smaller majority (62%) said they were willing to pay more for gas if it would help Ukraine.

The New Jersey Democrat also advocated for expanding domestic energy production, calling the idea the U.S. had to sacrifice its climate-change goals in response to the crisis in Ukraine a “false choice.”

“I think you can expand alternative sources and tap our domestic energy supplies. It's a transition. You don't flip a switch overnight. The worst thing to do would be to cut off all of our domestic production and suddenly have to rely on nefarious actors and depend on them even more,” Gottmeier said.

President Joe Biden has not yet announced whether he would sign a bill that bans Russian oil and gas if it made it to his desk, despite mounting pressure.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) signaled she supports banning Russian oil imports.

“I'm all for that – ban it,” Pelosi said at a Capitol Hill news conference on Thursday. "Ban the oil coming from Russia."