Washington, D.C.— U.S. Representative Andy Barr (R-KY) released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced a ban on U.S. imports of Russian oil and gas:
“Better late than never. The United States should never have been financing Putin’s war in Ukraine. This Administration’s anti-energy agenda led to an increase in U.S. imports of Russian oil and gas by over 25% in 2021.
“Since President Biden took office, Americans have seen energy prices spike almost 40%. This week, gas prices hit an all-time high and were pushing nearly $4 per gallon even before the Russian invasion. It’s time to unleash American energy producers to lower prices at home, decrease European dependence on Russian energy abroad and stop the flow of hard currency into Russia which is financing Putin’s war machine.”
Representative Barr is a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees. He is the lead Republican on the Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy. On Monday, Representative Barr appeared on CNN’s the Lead with Jake Tapper to discuss his legislation to severely restrict Russian oil and gas imports.
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