10.17.23

Hoeven, Rubio Working to Ban Oil and Natural Gas Imports from Venezuela and Iran

Legislation Would Prevent Biden Administration from Lifting Sanctions on Maduro Regime’s Petroleum Industry

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in reintroducing the Preempting Misguided Appeasement and Financing of Destabilizing Regimes Act to prohibit the importation of Venezuelan and Iranian crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas into the United States. The legislation comes in response to recent media reports indicating that the Biden administration had agreed to lift sectoral sanctions on the Maduro regime’s petroleum industry. Recognizing that neither Venezuela nor Iran are viable democratic partners, the bill would terminate any process that allows oil or natural gas resources to be imported from these adversarial regimes.

“Since day one, the Biden administration has closed off access to our vast domestic oil and gas reserves and undermined our nation’s energy security. Now, instead of producing the energy we need here at home, the Biden administration is seeking to do business with our adversaries. Our legislation will block the import of oil and gas from Iran and Venezuela, and help the U.S. maintain pressure on these two nations. Instead of easing sanctions on Iran and Venezuela’s primary source of revenue, we can and should produce that energy here at home,” said Senator Hoeven.

“The United States is blessed to have a plentiful supply of oil and natural gas – we should be using it. American-produced energy is cleaner and provides good paying jobs for American workers, yet the Biden Administration would rather appease dictatorships in Iran and Venezuela in return for hostage swaps, bad deals, and false promises. Under no circumstance should we be funneling money into the hands of dictators and narco-terrorists who are aiding Vladimir Putin’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine. Enough is enough – it’s time to bring energy production back home,” said Senator Rubio.

In addition to Hoeven and Rubio, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

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