Rep. Bush explains vote against Russian oil ban

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) on Thursday explained her reasoning behind voting against the House bill to ban Russian oil, saying that it “fails to address the underlying problem.”

Bush, one of 17 lawmakers who voted against the bill to ban Russian oil, said in a statement that she opposed the House bill because “it fails to address the underlying problem of imposing sanctions that are not accompanied with a clear diplomatic process for de-escalation, incentives for a ceasefire, and a condition of withdrawal of Russian military forces in Ukraine.”

The first-term Democrat from Missouri added that the push for a statutory ban is “being used to justify even more dangerous drilling at home and increased imports from other authoritarian governments like Saudi Arabia.”

She added that the approach to banning Russian oil “categorically makes our communities less safe” and “does nothing to jumpstart our transition to renewable energy.”

In an emailed statement, she added that it further burdens regular, everyday people already financially strained by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis.

Bush, who sits on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said that “our approach to the crisis in Ukraine must be rooted in ending human suffering, ensuring accountability, and creating pathways to peace and justice for all.”

However, while the lawmaker was one of two Democrats who voted against the ban on Russian oil, she highlighted in her statement that she voted in favor of House resolution H.Res 956, which strongly condemned Putin’s invasion and “affirmed the United States’ support” for the Ukrainian people last week.

“I am also proud to have supported swift action by Congress to provide billions of dollars in humanitarian aid to help the millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine – this is vital funding that will save lives,” she added. 

She also emphasized that she backed sanctions against Russia.

“I support sanctions that target the murderous Putin regime, Russian oligarchs, and corporate fossil fuel executives profiting off human suffering,” she said on Thursday.

Updated at 6:24 p.m.