March 08, 2022
Manchin, Murkowski Welcome White House Announcement To Ban Russian Energy Imports
Washington,
DC – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a senior
member of the Committee, welcomed an announcement from President Biden that the
United States will ban Russian energy imports. This announcement follows the
lead of Senators Manchin and Murkowski’s bipartisan, bicameral Ban
Russian Energy Imports Act, which would prohibit the importation of Russian
crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas and coal.
Introduced last week, the legislation has already received support from 36
Senate sponsors.
“I
am glad the Administration has taken seriously the Congressional will –
across the political spectrum and in both chambers – to further rebuke Vladimir
Putin’s terror against the Ukrainian people by banning Russian energy
imports. This is one of our most critical tools to hinder his ability to fund
and continue his war in Ukraine. Now it is time for government and industry to
come together and lead the world through this geopolitical turmoil by ramping
up our domestic production to meet our energy needs at home and the needs of
our allies. The United States is one of the most energy abundant countries in
the world and we have the ability to produce this energy cleaner than anywhere
else in the world,” said Chairman Manchin.
“I’m
proud to work side-by-side with Chairman Manchin and so many of our colleagues
to demonstrate strong support for restricting Russian energy imports, and
believe President Biden is doing the right thing by using his own authority to
put this ban in place. This sends a clear message to Putin and his cronies: we
will use every tool to stop their atrocities against Ukraine, and we will not
let our dollars finance their bloody, unprovoked war,” Senator Murkowski
said. “Now that President Biden has taken this important step, he must
recognize the need and potential to increase resource production here at home,
especially in states like Alaska. If there was ever a time to change course on
harmful policies that have restricted domestic production, it is right now.
What the President must understand is that Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan
energy creates problems for the world – given what it is used to finance –
while American energy is a solution that can help us address high prices,
inflation, and the needs of our allies.”
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