LaMalfa Comments on Russian Oil Ban

Statement

Today, President Biden announced a ban on the importation of Russian oil to the United States. Thirteen days since the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, bipartisan pressure has mounted on the administration to take further action and encourage more American energy production. Despite previously implementing sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Russia's Central Banks, President Putin himself and his fellow oligarchs, Biden has held off sanctioning Russian produced oil until now. Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy formally called on Biden to ban imports of Russian oil.

Congressman LaMalfa (R -- Richvale) commented:

"Nearly two weeks after Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine began, President Biden finally announced a ban on U.S. imports of Russian oil. For nearly two weeks, Republicans and Democrats have called for an embargo on Russian oil, and I'm pleased to see this policy is now becoming a reality. Ending the importation of Russian oil is the right decision, and I applaud Biden for it. At the same time, without unshackling American oil production it will simply mean America will have to import oil from places like Saudi Arabia. Importing from Iran or Venezuela would be insane and cause American consumers to pay even more. We have the ability to be energy self-sufficient, why won't the Biden Administration let America produce what we need domestically?

It's better to produce oil domestically, under our environmental rules, and not have it shipped from halfway around the world. We should not enrich the middle eastern oil barons or terrorist regimes. Also, suggesting that families struggling with major inflation, huge increases in food costs, housing costs, and now high fuel costs can afford to go buy expensive - and in rural areas sometimes unrealistic - electric cars is outrageously insulting. President Biden must now end his federal freeze on new oil and gas projects, expedite pending energy exports to our European allies, and fast-track approval of American pipeline and energy developments."

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