Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
Urges Biden Administration to Unleash Alaska Energy
The Senate today passed two measures to impose additional penalties on Russia over its bloody, unprovoked war on Ukraine. The first measure, H.R. 6968, imposes a legislative ban on Russian energy imports and contains language crafted in part by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to expedite its implementation. The second measure, H.R. 7108, would suspend permanent normal trade relations (PNTR), a key benefit of World Trade Organization membership, for Russia and Belarus.
“Congress remains united in our support for Ukraine, and we will hold the Russian regime accountable for the devastation, atrocities, and war crimes it has committed. As part of that, I’m grateful to Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo of the Finance Committee for working with Senator Manchin and me to reinforce and tighten the language of the Russian energy import ban,” Senator Murkowski said. “Now, President Biden needs to step up and remove his administration’s sanctions on resource projects in Alaska. There is no question that Alaska can and would do more to produce the energy and minerals that America and the world need, if only the administration would partner with us instead of blocking us at every turn. If there was ever a time for the President to look in the mirror and bring his policies back to reality, it is right now.”
Background: On March 3, 2022, Senators Murkowski and Manchin introduced S. 3757, the Ban Russian Energy Imports Act, to prohibit the importation of Russian crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal. Their bill, which has 37 bipartisan cosponsors, is widely credited with prompting President Biden to issue an executive order to block Russian energy imports on March 8, 2022.