(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement on her vote against Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) Nord Stream 2 bill.
“With Russia’s recent unprovoked action on the Ukrainian border, this is a time when we need to prioritize working with our allies in the region to prevent violence and Russian aggression. The reality is, right now, this bill would hurt our ability to do that by undercutting President Biden’s negotiations. We have better proposals on the table that would block Russia from completing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and using it as a weapon against our European partners and make clear to Putin that aggression in Ukraine will have severe repercussions.
“The situation in Europe is incredibly delicate at this moment. After the previous administration, we need to be taking steps to strengthen our relationships with our allies and strategic partners—and we need to be focused on ensuring the safety and security of our country and our European partners, not scoring political points.”
Senator Murray is a cosponsor of the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022, critical legislation to impose steep costs in the event of a renewed Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Russia continues to engage in an unjustified military build-up along Ukraine’s border, the proposal by Senator Murray and Senate Democrats sends a clear message that the United States is prepared to impose devastating consequences on Putin, and the Russian economy, if he goes down the path of invading Ukraine again. This proposal would authorize sanctions on the Russian interests financing and operating the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
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