Two measures filed in the U.S. House this month would undo a Treasury Department license authorizing transactions involving Russian-origin diesel and bar future administrative waivers, and Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska is an original cosponsor of one of them.
Legislation and sponsors
Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania introduced the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026, H.R. 10866, on Oct. 22. Bacon is listed as an original cosponsor. Separately, Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York filed H.R. 10828 on Oct. 15, titled the Prohibit Corrupt Russia Oil Deals Act.
- H.R. 10866 would amend the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act to prevent the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control from issuing waivers or general licenses for importing Russian energy products, declare General License 135 void, and require intelligence support for Ukraine.
- H.R. 10828 would nullify existing OFAC general licenses and bar future ones, prohibit the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation from investing in Russian energy, and impose other restrictions related to Russian energy transactions.
What the license allows
Both bills respond to General License 135, which OFAC issued on Oct. 9 and authorizes certain transactions involving Russian-origin diesel, including imports into the United States, through April 2027. Supporters of the measures say the license undermines congressional limits placed on importing Russian energy in 2022.
“We must not import a single drop of Russian oil. Congress made that decision with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2022, and that law remains in force,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick said in a written statement that the 2022 law should not be weakened by administrative action. Bacon, in accompanying remarks, criticized the Treasury move as inconsistent with past criticism of Europe’s reliance on Russian energy, saying the policy change would ease the Kremlin’s ability to sell diesel.
Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington joined Fitzpatrick and Bacon as an original cosponsor of H.R. 10866 and said in a statement that if the administration wants to address high fuel prices it should pursue other measures rather than easing restrictions on Russian energy imports.
Next steps
The two bills were introduced in mid- to late October and will be subject to referral to House committees for consideration. Lawmakers sponsoring the measures have framed them as congressional checks on executive actions that they say contravene the intent of the 2022 restrictions on Russian energy.
| Bill | Title (short) | Lead sponsor | Notable Nebraska cosponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.R. 10866 | Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026 | Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) | Rep. Don Bacon (Neb.) |
| H.R. 10828 | Prohibit Corrupt Russia Oil Deals Act | Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.) | — |
Both measures target the same administrative license and seek to stop future licenses that would permit imports of Russian energy products. Sponsors say the bills would restore the full force of the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act as enacted by Congress in 2022.
