After Congress suspended trade relations with Russia and Belarus,, Republican Leader on the Ways and Means Committee Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) appeared on the Ben Shapiro Show to discuss the importance of leading the world in holding Russia accountable.

CLICK HERE to watch the full interview.

Sanctioning Russia is a bipartisan effort despite President Biden’s resistance:

“Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate reached agreement on a bill that would lead with the immediate ban of purchases on all types of Russian energy – about 60 percent of what America buys from Russia. 

 

“We needed to target the rest of it, so that’s where suspending – revoking – our special trading relationship with Russia would really create more of an economic sanction there. “ President Biden fought both of those tooth and nail. 

 

“Once he realized we had the votes – turned out to be over 400 for each of those – first, he embraced the ban on Russian energy but stripped away revoking PNTR (permanent normal trade relations). He later changed his mind. We were able to move both of those through the House and we are pushing this President reluctantly into some stronger economic sanctions.”

 

The U.S. must take leadership in holding Russia accountable:

“We shouldn’t be providing a dollar to that Russian war machine.”

 

“The sanctions, as you recall, were so modest at the beginning. They started to ramp up, but really here in the U.S., Congress had to drive this.”

 

“Even countries like Canada acted first in both banning Russian oil and imposing more economic sanctions on what Canada buys. We seem to be leading from behind.“In Congress, there seems to be a much stronger appetite for more action.”

Background:

• On March 7, Members of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement suspending trade relations with Russia and Belarus, and banning Russian energy imports. 
• On March 9, upon the White House’s reluctant support for the energy ban, Ways and Means Republican Leader Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) opened debate on the House Floor in support of the ban on Russian energy imports, or roughly 60 percent of what the U.S. purchases from Russia. The bill passed 414-17.
• On March 9, Rep. Brady and Republican Leader of the Trade Subcommittee Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) were joined by all Ways and Means Republicans in introducing the bipartisan, bicameral bill suspending trade relations with Russia and Belarus.
• Soon after the House voted overwhelmingly to ban Russian energy imports, the White House announced its support to suspend trade relations with Russia. Reps. Brady and Smith urged Congress to act on their bipartisan, bicameral bill to suspend trade relations with Russia and Belarus.
• On March 16, Ukrainian President Zelensky addressed Congress. 
• On March 17, Rep. Brady and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) introduced the “Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act,” which would address the rest of what the U.S. purchases from Russia. 

On March 17, Rep. Brady opened debate on the House Floor in support of revoking trade relations with Russia and Belarus. The bill passed 424-8.