All five of Connecticut’s U.S. Representatives voted against a bill to sanction Russia and the countries that buy its oil on Wednesday night, citing concerns about how much power it would give President Donald Trump (R).
It’s significant largely because of who championed the bill: fellow Connecticut resident U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
The bill aims to choke out a major source of income for Russia and force them to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine.
Blumenthal spent years working on the bill with the late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
“To Vladimir Putin, we have your number,” Blumenthal said after the bill passed the House on Wednesday. “Your economy is reeling. We're going to throttle your war machine. China and India, to you, you better clean up your act, buy your oil and gas somewhere else.”
In a statement, the five members of Connecticut’s House delegation said they support Ukraine but voted against the bill because it gave Trump too much tariff power.
“This bill would only enable the President’s penchant for imposing reckless tariffs at the expense of the American consumer – effectively handing the President the power to raise costs on American workers and families by more than $8,000 a year– while providing zero additional military assistance for Ukraine,” the five said.
“Our delegation has staunchly supported Ukraine and is determined to provide tangible assistance as well as enforceable sanctions against Putin’s war machine. We recognize the Senate’s hard work and applaud Senator Blumenthal and his colleagues for their efforts. Due to our concerns, we could not vote for this bill in its current form and remain committed to continuing to stand unwaveringly with the Ukrainian people and enacting tough sanctions that hold the Putin regime accountable,” they continued.
The bill passed the House 262-159 and now heads to Trump for signature.
