Introduced in March, Senator Markey’s “SPIGOT Act” would prohibit all imports of Russian crude oil and petroleum products into the United States

Washington (April 7, 2022) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today voted to end imports of Russian oil to the United States. On March 1, Senator Markey introduced the Severing Putin’s Immense Gains from Oil Transfers (SPIGOT) Act, legislation to prohibit the importation of Russian oil and petroleum products into the United States and to impose targeted sanctions on corrupt Russian individuals found to have committed human rights violations. In March, May, June, and August of 2021, the Russian Federation became the second-largest exporter of crude oil and petroleum products to the United States.

“Ending Russian oil imports to the United States is our moral, economic, and global security responsibility,” said Senator Markey. “Vladimir Putin has been using those revenues from oil sales to crush dissent at home, fund war against Ukraine and commit war crimes, and it’s time for us to permanently shut off that deadly pipeline. The only way we will end the global conflict and corruption caused and funded by fossil fuels is to end our oil addiction and aggressively transition to clean energy. Investing in wind, solar, electric vehicles, battery storage, electric appliances, and energy efficiency are our pathway to a more prosperous and peaceful future.”

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