March 5, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 39 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H2343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              LIFTING OF SANCTIONS AGAINST OLEG DERIPASKA

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Trump 
administration's very curious lifting of sanctions against Russian 
energy magnate Oleg Deripaska.
  The President and our allies must strengthen sanctions against 
Russia, not weaken them.
  Russia illegally invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine and has 
killed more than 10,000 people, including civilians. She has seized 24 
Ukrainian sailors and not released them. Russia cyberhacks our firms 
and even our democratic election process.
  That is why Congress passed significant sanctions in 2017 by an 
overwhelming majority to raise the costs on Putin's sinister aims. Yet 
the Trump administration caved to foreign influence and, astoundingly, 
announced it would lift sanctions on Deripaska.
  Madam Speaker, America's first job is to protect liberty. It should 
not sell off our liberty to billionaires, especially mob bosses who 
enable cold-blooded murder in Ukraine. It does make you wonder what 
forces pull the strings of the Trump administration.
  The free world must not be soft on the Russian command structure, and 
I look forward to hearing what additional sanctions our President 
proposes to replace his ill-advised removal on sanctions.
  Stand fast, liberty lovers. Pay attention.

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