On the recordApril 7, 2022
I thank both of the gentlemen for their bipartisan effort on this bill. Six weeks ago today Putin began his bloody aggression in Ukraine. The next morning Representative Blumenauer and I introduced legislation to revoke normal trade relations with Russia and expel it from the World Trade Organization. On March 9, this House overwhelmingly approved action on the World Trade Organization but deferred the PNTR provision and added the important Magnitsky provisions--which the Senate has weakened today in this legislation--and a ban on Russian energy. Thereafter, on March 17, the House approved overwhelmingly again the PNTR provisions. It has taken 6 long weeks to approve this first economic sanctions legislation, but today it is finally done. We know that it will not immediately end the funding of the Putin war machine, but it is a step in the right direction. Let us hope that the administration will move forward more expeditiously on getting Ukrainians every weapon they need to defend themselves and that it will move faster than this bill did.
