The Senate has repeatedly shown support for designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The Biden administration, however, definitively rejected these appeals in mid-September. Nevertheless, to circumvent the executive branch, bills that would legislatively impose a terrorist designation are now moving forward in both the House and Senate — and that’s a good thing.

So far, only the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have declared Russia a terrorist state. Due to their small size, this has had limited impact. In contrast, a terrorist designation by the United States would be highly consequential. Its symbolic value would eclipse what was achieved in the Baltics, cementing Russia’s pariah status in most of the developed world. Economically, it would entrench and expand sanctions against Moscow, restrict access to debt relief and international financing, and nullify Russia’s entitlement to sovereign immunity. Without sovereign immunity, Russia could be sued in U.S. courts, with awarded damages being taken from the country’s frozen assets.