Lucas Joins Graves, Rodgers, Barr in Letter to President Biden on Nord Stream 2 Waiver

Cheyenne, OK – Today, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) joined House Select Climate Committee Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA), House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) in sending a letter to President Joe Biden expressing concern over the Biden Administration waiving sanctions to allow Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline to move forward.

Joining them on the letter are House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and 61 other House Republicans. The letter requests that the administration reconsider the waiver and fully implement congressionally mandated sanctions on the project.

As the nation recovers from a cyber terrorist attack on the Colonial Pipeline that reportedly originated in Russia, we have strong objections to your decision to waive sanctions for Nord Stream 2AG and effectively ensure the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. These sanctions focused on a one-time communist intelligence officer in the former Soviet-controlled East Germany and close crony of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The completion of Nord Stream 2, which was slowed during the Trump Administration, will be a gift to Putin and his efforts to increase geopolitical influence in Europe,” the lawmakers wrote. “Waiving sanctions for Nord Stream 2 “because it’s almost completely finished” is the wrong message to our allies and partners and undermines our credibility and global leadership. This action, which will send more Russian natural gas to Europe, also puts U.S. resources at a distinct competitive disadvantage, costing American jobs and reducing America’s geopolitical influence.

The text of the letter can be found here.

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