Isolate Russian Government Officials Act of 2022

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of Congresswoman Wagner's bill, H.R. 6891, the Isolate Russian Government Officials Act.

As the United States and our allies confront Russia's aggression in Ukraine, we must show the world that the Congress can unite around bipartisan legislation to hold the Putin regime accountable.

I thank my friend, Congresswoman Wagner, who recognized early that Russia's invasion of Ukraine required a complete rethinking of Moscow's involvement and engagement in our international organizations.

Congresswoman Wagner is eminently qualified for that as she is a

senior member of both the House Financial Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee and has had the distinction of serving our Nation abroad as our Ambassador.

Congresswoman Wagner's bill would establish that U.S. policy is to exclude Russia from participating in key international bodies until Moscow withdraws completely from Ukraine.

I think Americans join us in knowing that it is illogical and unreasonable for a country that threatens peace in Europe and financial stability globally to take part in overseeing the world's many multilateral financial system organizations.

Our strong sanctions against the Putin regime have been vital to raising the costs and imposing new ones, as we have talked about on this floor today, on Moscow, on Putin's leadership, on his cronies. But Moscow must pay a diplomatic cost as well.

We were in Romania and Poland, many of us on both sides of the aisle, over the last few weeks, and we have also had some extraordinary presentations by the distinguished Ambassador to the United Nations from Ukraine. Universally, diplomats in the European Union, across Europe, and at the United Nations are asking themselves: Are we really going to have business as usual when a member of the U.N. Security Council invades another United Nations member and destroys a country?

Today, we are proposing to employ a heavy diplomatic cost on Moscow, and that means leaving Russian Government officials on the outside, Madam Speaker, looking in.

After H.R. 6891 was introduced, Russia was suspended from the Bank for International Settlements and agreed to no longer participate in the meetings of the FSB, the Financial Stability Board. These moves would be codified in law when Mrs. Wagner's bill is enacted. We now need the G20 to follow suit.

While it is a symbolic step for Treasury Secretary Yellen and other allied officials to walk out of the recent G20 meeting last month, where Russian representatives were attending, this Congress and our transatlantic partners need to do more.

Under this bill, a hostile Russia would have no future in the G20. H.R. 6891 presents a clear choice for the Putin regime: End your destabilizing, illegal violations of Ukrainian sovereignty or remain an international pariah.

Our response to Putin's invasion should signal to China a similar fate awaits Beijing should it ever decide to follow in Putin's ill- conceived footsteps. The costs imposed on Russia through this bill foreshadow costs that China or any other nation bears if it violates the international norms of behavior.

This strong measure passed unanimously in the House Financial Services Committee, and I, too, welcome its passage on this House floor. I thank Chair Waters for her work on H.R. 6891 and appreciate the strong bipartisan work on this important national security, economic security, and diplomatic cost measure.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), the author of H.R. 6891. Let me reiterate Congresswoman Wagner's experience as the vice chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee and vice chairwoman for the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

First, I reiterate my thanks to Mrs. Wagner for her leadership on this bill and as she has done so well ably, even as a diplomat in our own House of Representatives, provided leadership through the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services on this issue.

Secondly, let me reiterate Mr. Connolly's comment that we do speak in one voice on this House floor as it relates to Putin's illegal, unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation, Ukraine, particularly egregious for a permanent

member of the U.N. Security Council, to place the world in this position. But I think we do have to take to heart Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations' view of ``we are not going to have business as usual.''

So while we speak as one voice here in the people's House, let's encourage the executive branch, under President Biden, to also speak with one voice on this point. Let's not have weasel words from former Secretary Kerry talking about, ``Oh, but we need the Russians' support on climate'' or Jake Sullivan saying, ``Oh, but we have got to have Russian support negotiating with Iran on the failed JCPOA reentry project of this administration.''

I agree it is not business as usual, and you can't have it both ways when you are having Ukraine, a nation of over 40 million people, the size of the State of Texas, in the heart of central Europe, invaded by a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. It is outrageous. They don't have a seat at the table, and this bill demonstrates it and demonstrates that strong bipartisan view in the House of Representatives that Putin doesn't deserve a seat at the table.

I think Americans, as I said earlier, believe it is illogical and unreasonable for a country that threatens peace on the Continent of Europe and financial stability globally in any way, shape, or form, take part in overseeing the economic affairs of our international order.

Therefore, I reiterate that this bipartisan support for Ukraine is fully embraced in H.R. 6891. I urge all Members to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6891) to exclude government officials of the Russian Federation from certain international meetings, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material thereon.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6891, the Isolate Russian Government Officials Act, sponsored by the Congresswoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner). I commend her for her work on this bill, and I appreciate that she worked with Chairwoman Waters to improve the bill.

The Russian Government participates, along with the U.S., in a wide range of international organizations that are intended to promote collaboration and harmonize global standards on critical issues like financial stability. However, Russia shattered any notion of international harmony by violating the sovereignty of Ukraine and its people with Putin's unlawful invasion.

As such, Russia should no longer have a seat at a table of meetings of a wide range of important bodies, including the Basel Committee and the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

I applaud the Biden administration for securing the suspension of Russia from the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. It is time to kick the Kremlin out of every other room and pass H.R. 6891.

Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC, May 9, 2022.

Hon. Maxine Waters,

Committee on Financial Services,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chair Waters: In an effort to work cooperatively and

to expedite consideration of H.R. 6891, Isolate Russian

Government Officials Act of 2022, the Committee on Foreign

Affairs agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill as

to the provisions that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of

the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs takes this action with the

mutual understanding that the Committee does not waive any

jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in H.R. 6891

or similar legislation, and the Committee will be

appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar

legislation moves forward. The Committee also reserves the

right to seek appointment of Committee on Foreign Affairs

conferees during any House-Senate conference convened for

this legislation with your support for any such request.

Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter

confirming this understanding and ask that a copy of our

exchange of letters on this matter be included in the

Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H.R. 6891.

Sincerely,

Gregory W. Meeks,

Chair.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), who is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I, again, thank Representative Wagner, her staff, as well as Ranking Member McHenry and his staff for working with us on this legislation.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting H.R. 6891, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), who is managing this set of Financial Services Committee sanctions against Russia, for yielding me the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 6891, the Isolate Russian Government Officials Act, a bipartisan bill that would exclude Russian Government officials from participating in key international bodies until Moscow puts a stop to its brutal and utterly unprovoked war on Ukraine.

These Russian officials would be excluded from international bodies, including the G20 and other organizations that oversee the world's financial system. Taking part in these groups' proceedings should be out of the question for a country that has ended decades of peace in Europe and threatened financial stability globally.

As we know, the U.S. and our allies have levied punishing sanctions against the Putin regime, and these measures have imposed immense costs on Moscow, but there must be diplomatic costs as well. That means leaving Russian Government officials on the outside of every one of these key organizations looking in.

After I introduced H.R. 6891, I was pleased to see the President called upon Russia to be ejected from the G20, and this legislation would ensure that Treasury and the Federal Reserve take all necessary steps to advance this as U.S. policy and law.

The Financial Services Committee, on a bipartisan basis, has traditionally pursued clear objectives in its national security legislation. Our bills are a means to an end, and my legislation is no exception.

While H.R. 6891 takes a hard stance against Russian officials, it provides an off-ramp for Moscow if, and only if, Putin chooses to end the violence in Ukraine. There is also waiver authority so that the executive branch can have maximum leverage when negotiating an end to the Russian hostilities.

But let's be crystal clear. Just as launching an illegal and unilateral attack on Ukraine was wholly Putin's choice, and his alone, so too is it his choice to bring Russia back into the fold of the international community by ending his war on Ukraine.

China, and other countries and adversaries, are watching our response to Russia closely, and our resolve in the face of Putin's invasion should signal to China, and others, that it will become an international pariah if Beijing ever follows Moscow's playbook.

Benefiting from participation in international organizations, including the ones in my bill, calls for a basic level of commitment to international order. We must not let others take this for granted.

Again, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support of H.R. 6891, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill, the Isolate Russian Government Officials Act.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Illinois for his indulgence.

I rise in strong support of the effort of my good friend and colleague, Mrs. Wagner of Missouri, on H.R. 6891. I think it is important that we speak with one voice in this body that the brutal, reckless, and unprovoked invasion of Russia in Ukraine and the terrible toll it has taken on the Ukrainian people is not acceptable, not to the American people and certainly not to this Congress.

Taking the steps enumerated in Mrs. Wagner's bill is a very important matter in isolating Russia and in raising the cost to Russia of this reckless and brutal invasion.

It is not okay to target hospitals. It is not okay to target innocent citizens. It is not okay to target children, including children's cancer hospitals, with missiles raining down on their heads and killing the innocents.

It is not okay in the 21st century to settle disputes kinetically, that is to say, by military invasion. Until and unless Russia stops its actions in Ukraine and withdraws from its sovereign territory completely, we need to stand as one with our allies and as one Nation in saying that we will resist, and we will assist the Ukrainian people in resisting this ruthless action by Vladimir Putin and his kleptocrats in Moscow.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Missouri for her leadership, and I am proud to support this effort.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.