Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has introduced a bipartisan bill restoring and strengthening Congressional oversight of U.S. sanctions on Russian oil amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine and operations against Iran.
In March, President Donald Trump issued sanctions relief for Russia's oil exports to temporarily offset surging oil prices resulting from the Iran conflict and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, which Sens. Gallego and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) both criticized Trump for backing.
As a result, Sen. Gallego and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have introduced the No Oil Profits for Enemies (NOPE) Act, which builds on the 2017 Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
CAATSA requires the President to report to Congress before taking any action that significantly alters foreign policy toward Russia, and the policy cannot be enacted until a 30-day Congressional review and a joint resolution of approval.
However, CAATSA only covered all executive orders that were in place when the bill was signed into law, and most sanctions introduced against Russia, especially after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, have not been covered.
Thus, the NOPE Act requires all sanctions against Russia issued under Executive Orders addressing the national emergency continued by the President on April 10, 2025. Additionally, any U.S. licensing action affecting Russian energy is to be treated as a "licensing action that significantly alters U.S. foreign policy."
"By easing sanctions on Russia, Donald Trump is bankrolling Putin's war in Ukraine and helping Iran target American troops in the Middle East," the Arizona Senator said in his press release, further calling the sanctions relief "a betrayal of our servicemembers, our allies, democracy, and everything we have stood for as a country."
"By restoring and strengthening congressional oversight on Russian sanctions, this bill would make sure the U.S. stands on the side of democracy, stops recklessly bankrolling our adversaries, and keep the pressure on Russia to end its illegal war," Gallego concluded.
Sen. Grassley added, "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."
