Suspending Energy Imports From Russia Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 6968, the Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act.

This bill Democrats have brought to the floor, although important, is not what it actually could be. It is actually a missed opportunity to address our trade relationships with Russia and Belarus, and it is a missed opportunity to bolster domestic American-produced energy in a serious fashion so that we can address energy prices here at home.

Every Member of this body knows that we could and should be voting on the stronger bipartisan product that leaders on the Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees agreed to merely days ago. It was bipartisan and bicameral. It revoked permanent normal trade relations for Russia and normal trade relationships for Belarus.

It also included an energy import ban and instead of loopholes, provided an off-ramp should Russia reverse course in Ukraine and earn back our trust. The text we have before us today is obviously not that bill.

The President demanded a lesser path and the House Democrats have chosen to support him in that effort. However, I do know that doing nothing is not an option.

I will support this bill, and I urge my Democratic colleagues to join Republicans in our push to use the trade tools at our disposal to address Vladimir Putin's unacceptable tyrannical aggression against Ukraine.

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