Passage of Ukraine Support Act

Today, I issued the following statement on H.R. 4278, the Ukraine Support Act, which passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. This legislation includes both sanctions against Russia and support measures for Ukraine. H.R. 4278 also includes the Poe Amendment, which requires the State Department to produce a report on the potential short, medium and long-term impacts of increased U.S. natural gas and oil exports on Russia’s economic and political influence over Ukraine and other European countries.

I am pleased that the House passed this important bill that reaffirms America's support for Ukraine and takes definitive steps to stop Russia’s aggression in the region. The Napoleon of Siberia (Putin) keeps control over Ukraine and other European countries by holding their energy needs hostage. Russia uses natural gas as a weapon to manipulate neighboring economies. The United States can change this. The Ukraine Support Act includes my amendment, which promotes increased natural gas exports in order to decrease Russia’s economic and political influence over Ukraine and other European nations. We must help Ukraine stand strong amidst the bully Putin and prove the Russian bear and his energy can one day be irrelevant.