Bipartisan House bills target Trump’s Russian energy waivers and Ukraine aid
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced bills that would cancel President Donald Trump’s decision to permit U.S. purchases of Russian diesel and block similar waivers in the future. One measure from Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick would also require U.S. intelligence assistance for Ukraine’s military, while Rep. Gregory Meeks offered a related proposal. Advocacy groups endorsed both bills as Congress’ first legislative response to the administration’s recent Russia policy moves.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s measure would cancel the administration’s permission for Russian diesel purchases, bar future exemptions from the 2022 Russian oil import ban, and mandate U.S. intelligence aid for Ukraine’s military. Reps. Don Bacon and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez are original co-sponsors. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the Foreign Affairs Committee’s top Democrat, introduced a parallel proposal to reverse the energy-sanctions easing. Razom for Ukraine backed both, calling them Congress’s first legislative answer to this month’s policy shifts.
The administration issued a six-month diesel waiver on Oct. 9 and later waived sanctions in a law named for former Sen. Lindsey Graham. Speaker Mike Johnson urged weighing unintended consequences.
The bills could affect U.S. energy buyers, Ukrainian military planners, and communities exposed to Russian attacks, since reversing waivers may alter fuel purchasing and intelligence cooperation. Congressional action may also intensify debate over sanctions and executive flexibility, shaping how allies and markets view U.S. reliability. Because the measures face a legislative path, their practical effect may be delayed or limited; advocacy groups and lawmakers could use them to signal support for Ukraine and press the administration.