A bipartisan group of US House of Representatives lawmakers has introduced two separate bills aimed at nullifying President Donald Trump's decision to permit purchases of Russian diesel and to permanently bar future waivers on Russian energy imports — marking the first concrete legislative challenge to a series of executive moves that critics contend benefit the Kremlin.

The Two Bills and Their Sponsors

Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania introduced the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026 (H.R. 10866) on 22 October, with Republican Don Bacon of Nebraska and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington as original co-sponsors. Separately, Representative Gregory Meeks of New York — the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee — introduced the Prohibit Corrupt Russia Oil Deals Act (H.R. 10828) on 15 October, which has attracted 17 co-sponsors, including Indian American Representative Ami Bera of California and Bacon.

What Triggered the Legislation

Both bills target Russia-related General License 135, issued by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on 9 October. The licence authorises transactions involving Russian-origin diesel — including imports into the United States — through April 2027. Five days after that diesel licence was issued, Trump also waived sanctions on Russia, including on energy, under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which had threatened a 100 per cent tariff on countries buying Russian oil. That waiver reportedly spared major Russian crude buyers, including India, from that tariff. India is among the largest buyers of Russian crude.

What the Bills Would Do

Fitzpatrick's measure would amend the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act — enacted in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine — so that OFAC 'may not issue any waiver or general license' for importing Russian energy products, declare General License 135 to have 'no force or effect', and require US intelligence support for Ukraine. Meeks's bill would separately nullify OFAC's general licences and bar future ones, prohibit the US International Development Finance Corporation from investing in Russian energy, and require the administration to impose sanctions on Russian energy.

Key Quotes From Lawmakers

'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,' Fitzpatrick said. 'It is not a suggestion, nor should its intent be undermined through administrative waivers,' he added. Bacon was pointed in his criticism of the President's reversal: 'For years, President Trump criticised Europe for buying Russian energy and propping up Putin's war economy. Now, Trump wants to make it easier for Putin to sell diesel fuel. He is wrong.' Gluesenkamp Perez argued, 'If the President is serious about bringing down gas prices, he should end the war in Iran, not send our tax dollars to Putin.' Meeks warned that the waiver 'will hand Putin millions of dollars to continue slaughtering Ukrainian civilians with impunity.'

Legislative Outlook and India Angle

Both bills have been referred to several House committees, and neither has been scheduled for a vote as of 26 October 2026. House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that lawmakers 'need to talk' to the White House about the easing of sanctions — stopping short of endorsing or opposing the bills outright. Fitzpatrick's bill, as currently drafted, deals specifically with US imports and US licences and does not address the Graham Act's tariff-waiver authority — meaning India's current exemption from the 100 per cent tariff is not directly imperilled by his legislation. Notably, the 2022 Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act bans imports of Russian crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal into the United States — and critics argue the Trump administration's waivers circumvent that statutory prohibition. Whether the Republican-controlled House advances these bills will be a significant test of congressional appetite to check executive energy policy on Russia.