GOP senators introduce bill to reimpose waived Nord Stream sanctions

Fourteen Republican senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would reimpose sanctions on entities involved in the construction of the Nord Stream pipeline after the Biden administration announced it would waive them earlier this week.

The Protecting Our Well-being by Expanding Russian Sanctions Act would reinstate sanctions against the company behind the pipeline and CEO Matthias Warnig, while also extending them to cover “subcontractors of any entity which works on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.”

“At the risk of weakening America’s global standing, the Biden Administration is acquiescing to a misguided German strategy which will give Putin a grip on our allies in Europe,” lead sponsor Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said in a statement. “The Putin Pipeline must be stopped, and I urge my colleagues to join this effort before the Administration makes the United States learn the hard way why energy security means national security.”

Co-sponsors of the measure include Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Mt.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). Cramer’s introduction of the measure was first reported by The Washington Examiner.

The Biden administration was first reported to be waiving the sanctions earlier this week. The administration reportedly had concluded that there was no way to halt the construction of the pipeline, which is set to carry gas to Germany, without sanctioning German entities as well. In addition to Republican senators, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) also came out in opposition to the decision Wednesday.

“I urge the administration to rip off the Band-Aid, lift these waivers and move forward with the congressionally mandated sanctions,” Menendez said in a statement. “The administration has said that the pipeline is a bad idea and that it is a Russian malign influence project. I share that sentiment, but fail to see how today’s decision will advance U.S. efforts to counter Russian aggression in Europe.”