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U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal joined a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives to pass measures supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression.
Rep. Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, voted with the majority to approve legislation that will formalize President Joe Biden’s ban on the import of Russian oil and gas. The measure was passed by the House on Wednesday and, besides banning imports, authorizes new sanctions against members of the Russian government and military who are engaged in human rights abuses in Ukraine.
The legislation cuts off primary funding sources for Russia’s war effort.
Rep. Carbajal voted to approve $13.6 billion in emergency humanitarian, economic,and security assistance for Ukraine as a part of a federal spending package that is expected to become law over the course of the next week. This package includes $4 billion for emergency food assistance, health care, and other humanitarian support for Ukrainian refugees who have been displaced by the Russian invasion.
“In Washington, I am continuing to work with my colleagues in both parties to support the Ukrainian people and make sure Russia is paying a steep price for their unprovoked attack,” Rep. Carbajal said in a statement.
“Today, I voted to defund Russia’s war effort by cutting off American imports of Russian gas — a key revenue source for Vladimir Putin – as well as authorize new sanctions and provide additional aid to Ukraine to help the civilians in harm’s way,” Rep. Carbajal said Wednesday.
The congressman said the U.S. can use its Strategic Petroleum Reserve and additional supply from energy-producing partners to offset the rising price of il and gas.
“Let me be clear: while Putin’s war is driving up prices at the pump, we cannot drill our way out of this price spike,” Rep. Carbajal said. “The only way to reduce our dependence on the volatility of oil markets is to reduce our dependence on oil itself.”
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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