The US House of Representatives has advanced legislation that would give President Donald Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that purchase oil and gas from Russia, including major buyers such as India and China.
The measure also proposes extending existing US sanctions on Iran.
The bill cleared a procedural hurdle in the House on Tuesday evening with support from two Democratic lawmakers. On Wednesday, the House approved a series of legislative measures, including the proposal to advance the Russia sanctions bill, by a vote of 214-211, a result that reportedly surprised Democratic leaders in the chamber.
Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, opposed the measure on Monday, arguing that it would give Trump sweeping authority to impose tariffs without sufficient checks.
The bill had previously passed the Senate by an 86-11 vote last month. It seeks to impose additional sanctions not only on Russia’s leadership and energy sector but also on vessels involved in transporting Russian oil in an effort to circumvent sanctions, commonly referred to as Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
Washington maintains that revenues from Russia’s crude oil exports help finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The House legislation would authorize Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on major trading partners of Russia, specifically including India and China. The Senate version passed on August 7 did not name individual countries but instead referred to the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas by volume.
The House vote came amid intensified lobbying by pro-Ukraine groups in Washington. The American Coalition for Ukraine is currently holding a “Ukraine Action Summit” as part of efforts to urge US lawmakers to maintain support for Kyiv.
The legislation must pass the House before it can be sent to the president for his signature. The House is scheduled to begin its recess on Thursday and is expected to resume legislative business on November 9, after the midterm elections.
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