Hoeven Helps Introduce Legislation to Ban Oil and Gas Imports From Iran and Venezuela

Senator Working to Strengthen U.S. Energy Security, Reduce Reliance on Adversaries

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, today joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in introducing the Preempting Misguided Appeasement and Financing of Destabilizing Regimes Act to prohibit the U.S. from importing Iranian and Venezuelan crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products and liquified natural gas.

“The Biden administration’s willingness to do business with Iran and Venezuela is troubling, and just as we are banning imports of Russian oil, we should not bring oil online from these two adversaries,” said Hoeven. “Iran is the world’s foremost sponsor of terrorism, and Venezuela is still under the rule of an illegitimate and violent regime. As such, the U.S. needs to maintain pressure on these two nations, not ease sanctions on their primary source of revenue, especially when we can and should produce that energy here at home.”

Today’s legislation aligns with Hoeven’s efforts to reduce America’s reliance on energy from its adversaries, including Russia, Iran and Venezuela, while also expanding U.S. energy production to strengthen both the economy and national security. To this end, Hoeven:

• Recently led his Senate colleagues in introducing the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, bicameral legislation that would take immediate action to increase domestic energy production to support American energy independence.
• Helped introduce legislation to ban the United States from purchasing Russian oil and remove Russian fuels from American supply chains.
• Cosponsored bipartisan legislation to prohibit the importation of Russian crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal. 

In addition to Hoeven and Rubio, today’s legislation is cosponsored by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Roger Marshall (R-Kans.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). Click here for the full text of the legislation. 

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