Bipartisan senators unveil bill pushing back on Trump easing Russia oil sanctions
A bipartisan group of senators led by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) pushed back on President Trump’s decision to loosen sanctions on Russian oil amid a global shortage of oil supplies by introducing legislation to restore congressional oversight of U.S. sanctions on Russia.
Gallego and Grassley’s No Oil Profits for Enemies (NOPE) Act would strengthen existing sanctions law and restore congressional oversight over sanctions against Russia.
The senators introduced the legislation in response to the Trump administration this month lifting sanctions on Russian oil shipments to boost global oil supplies to ease the pressure put on oil prices by Iran’s threats to strike cargo ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil supply moves to market.
“By easing sanctions on Russia, Donald Trump is bankrolling [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war in Ukraine and helping Iran target American troops in the Middle East. This is a betrayal of our servicemembers, our allies, democracy, and everything we have stood for as a country,” Gallego said in a statement.
“By restoring and strengthening congressional oversight on Russia sanctions, this bill would make sure the U.S. stands on the side of democracy, stops recklessly bankrolling our adversaries, and keeps the pressure on Russia to end its illegal war,” he said.
The Treasury Department has issued licenses for tankers loaded with Russian oil to deliver their goods without facing U.S. sanctions.
“Putin’s unprovoked, violent invasion of Ukraine is the largest land war in Europe since World War II. As the United States works to promote peace and end the bloodshed, it’s important that any effort to ease sanctions on Putin and his cronies be reviewed by Congress to ensure accountability,” Grassley said in a statement.
The legislation would strengthen the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was enacted during Trump’s first term and requires the president to submit a report to Congress before changing foreign policy toward Russia, triggering a 30-day review period.
The law’s review framework, however, only covers sanctions that were in place when it was enacted in 2017 and doesn’t cover additional sanctions imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
The NOPE Act would bring all sanctions issued under executive orders addressing the emergency situation that Trump extended in April 2025 within the congressional review framework established by CAATSA.
The legislation would designate any licensing action affecting Russian oil exports as something that “significantly alters U.S. foreign policy” and subject to the congressional review requirement.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have co-sponsored the measure.
“Lifting sanctions on Russia should require approval by Congress, so elected representatives can stop a misguided president from fueling Putin’s savage war machine,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
Wicker said Putin is “an indicted war criminal” and “should be held accountable” for the destruction and loss of life in Ukraine.
“Easing sanctions on Russia would only prolong its unprovoked, illegal assault. Congress must help ensure that Putin feels the consequences of his actions,” Wicker said.
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