Latest News

Guthrie Cosponsors Bills to Thwart Russia’s Energy Leverage

Washington, March 8, 2022 | S.K. Bowen (202-225-3501)
Tags: Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), who is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has cosponsored several bills to strengthen America’s energy security, thwart Russia’s energy leverage, and prevent the United States from supporting Russia’s war machine against Ukraine through the importation of Russian energy.

“Since day one of taking office, President Biden has undermined American energy independence and has ceded global energy dominance to Russia and other adversaries, which has led us to the situation we find ourselves in today. It is unconscionable that the United States is fueling Russia’s war machine against Ukraine by importing Russian energy. We need to unleash American energy and use it as a weapon against Putin. I’m pushing for the passage of several bills that would tap into our energy sources, thwart Putin’s leverage over our allies with Russian energy, and close a sanction loophole against Russia,” said Guthrie.

Background:

American Energy Independence from Russia Act

  • Approves the Keystone XL pipeline, which would send up to 830,000 barrels of crude oil to U.S. refineries per day while also creating jobs
  • Displaces Russian gas in the European market by unleashing exports of U.S. LNG
  • Requires a plan from Secretary of Energy to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve with oil from federal lands
  • Requires energy leasing and permitting from federal lands and waters
  • Directs President Biden to provide Congress with an energy security plan within 30 days that includes a list of countries that are an energy security risk to the U.S., an evaluation of U.S. oil and natural gas imports, and a plan to offset Russian energy imports using domestic energy

No Energy Revenues for Russian Hostilities Act

  • Closes the loophole of the U.S. being able to buy Russian energy through Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) in current U.S. sanctions against Russia to prevent the U.S. from financing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Powering America through Domestic Energy Act

  • Prohibits the Russian Federation’s crude oil and petroleum products from being imported in the U.S.
  • Ensures the power to declare or implement a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing and leasing of oil and gas on federal lands is authorized by Congress, not unilaterally by the President of the United States.

###