Hoeven Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Ban Russian Energy Imports

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, today cosponsored bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced by Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to prohibit the importation of Russian crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal. In 2021, the United States imported an average of 670,000 barrels of oil and petroleum products from Russia per day, with a high of 848,000 barrels per day in June 2021, an increase of 24 percent over 2020. The U.S. has also imported Russian LNG and coal despite having some of the largest reserves domestically. This import strategy puts American national security at risk and supports Vladimir Putin’s ability to stay in power.

“It does not make sense to continue importing Russian energy, which helps fund Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, when we can produce the energy we need here at home,” said Hoeven. “The Biden administration needs to reverse course on its harmful agenda that has discouraged domestic energy production, and instead work with us to unleash America’s full energy potential. Doing so will not only strengthen our economy, but it will help make the U.S. and our allies more secure.”

The legislation comes in addition to a similar bill that Hoeven helped introduce with Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kans.) last week to ban the United States from purchasing Russian oil and remove Russian fuels from American supply chains. At the same time, Hoeven led his Senate colleagues in introducing the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, bicameral legislation that would take immediate action to encourage increased domestic energy production to support U.S. energy independence and reduce the nation’s reliance on its adversaries. 

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