On the recordMarch 9, 2022
For the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill to the Committee on Ways and Means. I will also ask to have my amendment, that suspends permanent normal trade relations with Russia, included in the Record. While there is broad agreement to stop imports of Russian energy, to stand with Ukraine, Congress does need to do more. That is what this motion does. As we talked earlier, when we talked about amending the rule to offer American-made energy production, the idea of doing sanctions without American energy production is incomplete at best. But when it comes to trade with Russia, we also need to take stronger steps, stronger bipartisan steps. We had a good, bipartisan agreement that stopped oil imports from Russia but also removed preferential trade on other products from Russia. The bill we are voting on today allows about 40 percent of the total products we buy from Russia to receive preferential trade treatment. That is why we are so disappointed and puzzled about why this provision was removed from the bill, because I believe that there is sincerely broad, strong bipartisan support in Congress to remove and suspend that. I know that Chairman Neal is committed to working together toward that goal. By not revoking PNTR, Russia enjoys the same preferential trade status and lower tariffs as all of our American allies.…
