Isolate Russian Government Officials Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mrs. WAGNER. 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.

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