Manchin, Murkowski lead bipartisan bill to ban Russian energy imports
By Zack Budryk - 03/03/22 03:37 PM EST
Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Thursday proposed bipartisan legislation to ban Russian energy imports in response to the invasion of Ukraine, calling it a counter to Russia “weaponizing” energy.
“The United States has the ability to backfill and help all of our allies around the world as [Russia] use this energy as a weapon,” Manchin said at a press conference Thursday. “We have to make sure that we're doing our [energy production]. We do it cleaner than anybody else. We do it in a better fashion anybody else. And we have the ability with a reserve to do much more during this crisis.”
Manchin also criticized White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s comments Wednesday that “we don’t have a strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy.”
“They’re so wrong,” the West Virginia Democrat said.
Murkowski, meanwhile, called spiking gas prices “almost psychological in nature,” saying President Biden must “change course” to reassure energy markets. “He's got to embrace American energy. He's got to tell the public that he's doing this,” she added.
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https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/596776-manchin-murkowski-lead-bipartisan-bill-to-ban-russian-energy
