United in bipartisan outrage, the Senate voted unanimously Thursday to remove Russia’s favorable trade status and to ban the import of its energy products and the House followed a short while later, clearing the bills for the president to sign.
Senators passed the trade status revocation bill (HR 7108), as amended, with a 100-0 vote. They then voted 100-0 to approve the oil embargo bill (HR 6968), as amended. The House vote to concur in the trade status measure was 420-3 and to concur on the embargo legislation was 413-9.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said legislation to revoke Russia’s most-favored-nation status, also known as permanent normal trade relations, would deliver a “painful, severe” financial blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine and overseeing alleged war crimes against civilians.
