Oklahoma congressman Tom Cole was among those pleading this week with the President to immediately embargo all Russian energy exports.
He joined Kansas Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall in sending a letter to the White House in response to Russia’s unprovoked war and invasion of Ukraine.
“Energy makes up approximately one-quarter of Russia’s Gross Domestic Product, and as such, an embargo on Russian energy exports would inflict crippling consequences on its economy,” wrote the three in their letter.
The United States is currently buying approximately 700,000 barrels of oil and other petroleum products per day from Russia.
“Simply put, Putin must be held to account for the blood on his hands—an American embargo of Russian energy exports would impose a high cost on the Russian economy while also deterring additional bloodshed,” stated the three Republican members of Congress.
Read the letter here or below:
Dear Mr. President,
We write to urge you to immediately institute an embargo on all Russian energy exports pursuant to your authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702). We also urge you to encourage our allies and partners across the globe to take similar punitive actions against the energy exports of Russian President Putin’s ruthless regime.
We do not urge this course of action lightly. Putin’s malicious invasion into the sovereign state of Ukraine demands sanctions which will inflict a maximal level of economic pain on the Russian economy necessary to deter further escalation of the conflict. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians displaced as a result of Putin’s war on Ukraine, news reports indicate that more than 350 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, including at least 14 children, in addition to over 1,600 civilians injured thus far. Simply put, Putin must be held to account for the blood on his hands—an American embargo of Russian energy exports would impose a high cost on the Russian economy while also deterring additional bloodshed.
Further, in order to mitigate any price shocks caused as a result of an embargo on Russian energy exports, we encourage you to reevaluate energy policies which have curtailed domestic production of oil and natural gas. In particular, we urge you to reinstate the permit for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline to allow for the free flow of Canadian crude oil to U.S. refineries. The United States of America must utilize its abundant natural resources, and relationships with energy producing allies, as leverage against a despotic Russian regime that is intent on disrupting peace and threatening global stability.
The United States is currently buying approximately 700,000 barrels of oil and other petroleum products per day from Russia amid its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. We should be seeking to end Putin’s conflict before it deteriorates even further—it is time to institute an embargo on Russian energy exports.