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Pelosi says Biden admin has requested $10B in aid for Ukraine, while ‘exploring’ ban of Russian oil to US

March 7, 2022 | | Print Article

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the U.S. House is “exploring” a bill banning the import of Russian oil and delivering on the Biden administration’s call for $10 billion in aid for Ukraine.

“The United States remains ironclad in our commitment to the Ukrainian people and in unity with our allies. For that purpose, the Biden Administration has requested $10 billion in humanitarian, military and economic support for Ukraine,” the California Demo0crat said in a letter on Sunday.

“The Congress intends to enact this emergency funding this week as part of our omnibus government funding legislation. And an urgent request from President Zelenskyy is to help ensure air support for the Ukrainian armed forces. As President Biden has made crystal clear, American troops will not go to war in Ukraine — but our nation can provide military equipment and support our allies who are supplying airplanes to Ukraine,” she added.

“In addition, the House is currently exploring strong legislation that will further isolate Russia from the global economy. Our bill would ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States, repeal normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, and take the first step to deny Russia access to the World Trade Organization,” Pelosi’s letter continued.

“We would also empower the Executive branch to raise tariffs on Russian imports,” the Democrat leader noted.

The message to her Democrat colleagues comes amid the ongoing Russian invasion of its Eastern European neighbor, Ukraine, and as the U.S. Senate introduced a bipartisan bill last week led by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), to ban Russian oil imports.

“When it comes to oil, Russian oil, I was on the phone yesterday with president and other members of the Cabinet on exactly the subject,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, noting there is “active discussion” about a potential ban.

“And we are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way at the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil while making sure that there is still an appropriate supply of oil on world markets,” he added.

When asked about a ban last week, Pelosi was clear on her stance.

“Ban the oil coming from Russia,” she said. “I’m all for that — ban it.”

“When Speaker Pelosi says she’s all for banning oil from Russia—just this week 220 House Democrats voted to block that,” noted House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

“Let me be clear: the United States need not choose between our democratic values and our economic interests,” Pelosi’s letter continued, singing Biden’s praises. “The Administration and the Congress remain laser-focused on bringing down the higher energy costs for American families and our partners stemming from Putin’s invasion. We salute President Biden for leading our allies in releasing 60 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves – including 30 million from American reserves in the SPR — to stabilize global markets.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” that the Russian oil issue was being discussed with Biden and other members of the Cabinet “and we are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way to making sure that there is still an appropriate supply of oil in world markets.”

“That’s a very active discussion as we speak,” he said.

Frieda Powers
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