U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul (R-TX) and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on Tuesday unveiled comprehensive legislation to slap stiff economic sanctions against Russia, which continues to threaten Ukraine.
“As the noose tightens around Ukraine, the administration needs to allow our Democrat colleagues to work with us to pass meaningful bipartisan legislation to address growing Russian aggression,” said Rep. McCaul, who sponsored the bill in his chamber. “Congress must now step in and act where the president has failed to deter Putin’s belligerence.”
The sweeping 129-page Never Yielding Europe’s Territory (NYET) Act, H.R. 6742/S. 3652, aims to counter the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and Eastern European allies by bolstering U.S. defense capabilities and those of allies and partners in the region, imposing sanctions related to Russia’s actions regarding Ukraine, and expediting security assistance to Ukraine, among numerous provisions.
“Since the Biden administration’s deferential foreign policy continues to create instability in Eastern Europe, Congress must take action,” said Sen. Capito, an original cosponsor of S. 3652 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. James Risch (R-ID).
“This comprehensive legislation not only sends a clear message that the United States won’t tolerate Russian aggression, it implements serious economic sanctions aimed at deterring Moscow from continuing down its current path,” Sen. Capito said.
If enacted, the legislation would provide support for Ukraine before, during and after a Russian escalation via $500 million in Foreign Military Financing for Ukraine; create a new Ukraine Resistance Fund to help the country resist attempts to occupy or subjugate any new territory Russia seizes; and designate Ukraine as a “NATO Plus” country to ensure the expeditious consideration of the sale of a range of U.S. defense articles and services, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Additionally, the bill would impose costs on Russia pre- and post- invasion by “sanctioning Putin’s cronies, enablers and major banks” before Russia further invades Ukraine, the summary says, and establish stronger congressional oversight over the Biden administration’s use of Russia sanctions, among other provisions.
“This bill demonstrates our support for our Ukrainian partners while holding Putin and is inner circle accountable for their destabilizing aggression towards Ukraine,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), one of three original cosponsors of H.R. 6742. “If Russian forces invade a sovereign country, the consequences should be swift and crippling.”
Russia’s proposal for a deployment moratorium of intermediate-range ground-launched missiles in Europe also would be rejected and would require a strategy on cooperation with NATO allies on conventional intermediate-range missiles, according to the summary.
“We are potentially just days away from what could be the largest invasion since World War II, so we must impose consequences now on Putin, while also laying out the additional crippling penalties he would face after a further invasion of Ukraine,” Rep. McCaul said.
Among the 38 other lawmakers who joined Sen. Capito as an original cosponsor of S. 3652 are U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Todd Young (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Richard Burr (R-NC), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Thune (R-SD), and Mitt Romney (R-UT).