Lawmakers want what they call stronger steps to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine — with some criticism of President Joe Biden’s performance coming from members of his own party.
Biden has publicly ruled out putting Americans in Ukraine to defend it from Russia’s invasion, but he has called for harsh sanctions in response. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have backed harsher economic responses and military aid than the administration adopted.
Last week, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers led by Sens. Joe Manchin and Lisa Murkowski introduced a bill to prohibit importing crude oil, petroleum, and other energy products from Russia for the duration of the conflict in a move they said would be financially devastating for Putin’s regime. Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, and Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, took aim at the White House’s opposition to the proposal. But it was later reported that the administration was weighing a ban, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Sunday that the move is under discussion.
Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin announced over the weekend that he would join the bipartisan group in supporting the bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also said she would support a ban on Russian oil imports earlier last week, marking more Democratic support for the measure.
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In a “Dear Colleague” letter on Sunday, the California Democrat wrote the House is also “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 wrote. “We would also empower the Executive branch to raise tariffs on Russian imports.”
But lawmakers are not universally more hawkish than the president. Sen. Marco Rubio criticized a move to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine’s airspace requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, arguing it “means starting World War III.”
“It’s not some rule you pass that everybody has to oblige by,” the Florida Republican said during an interview on ABC News’s This Week.
“It’s the willingness to shoot down the aircrafts of the Russian Federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III,” Rubio added.
Rubio was among lawmakers who came under fire over the weekend for sharing images of a Zoom meeting between members of Congress and Zelensky after being instructed not to do so.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Rob Portman also wrote a letter to the administration on Saturday asking for the transfer of additional aircraft to Ukraine from other Eastern European countries.
“We understand some of the potential donor countries may be willing to donate these aircraft to the Ukrainians if they are provided assurances and a roadmap for restoring their fleet with advanced American aircraft in a reasonable timeframe,” the New Hampshire Democrat and the Ohio Republican wrote. “We strongly urge you to continue working alongside our allies to explore all feasible options to expedite the urgent transfer of aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force.”
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Politico reported some U.S. officials are concerned such a move might prompt retaliation from Putin and an expansion to the conflict.
