Problem Solvers Caucus backs legislation to ban Russian energy imports

Government
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U.S. Rep. Ed Case | case.house.gov

The Problem Solvers Caucus endorsed the bipartisan Ban Russian Energy Imports Act to prohibit the importation of Russian crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, liquified natural gas and coal.

"Last night I joined 29 of my House @ProbSolveCaucus colleagues in introducing our bipartisan Ban Russian Energy Imports Act, to prohibit the importation of Russian crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, liquified natural gas and coal throughout our country," Rep. Ed Case (D-HI) recently tweeted before President Joe Biden announced the ban. 

Imports of petroleum and energy products were up 24% in 2021 compared to 2020, the Caucus said in a recent press release on its website. The United States imported an average of 670,000 barrels of oil and petroleum products per day in 2021, with a high of 848,000 barrels per day in June 2021.

Co-Chairs Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) brought the legislation for endorsement, and more than 75% of the Caucus supported it, the release said. 

The bill was spurred on by the Russia-Ukraine war as a way to economically hurt Russia.

"Russia's unjustified, unprovoked war against Ukraine demands an urgent, unified response and rethinking of our national and international energy policy, which currently supports the Russian Federation by allowing the purchase and import of their energy resources," the Caucus said in the release.