Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) on Thursday introduced new legislation that would direct Russian assets that were seized to humanitarian aid projects supporting Ukraine.
Specifically, the bill, known as the Confiscating Corrupt Criminal Proceeds (CCCP) Act, takes civil asset forfeiture from the sanctions imposed by the United States on Russian and Belarusian elites and sends support to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“There would not be a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine if Vladimir Putin had refrained from starting this war,” Rep. Burchett said. “Russia is responsible for its army’s vile attacks on evacuation convoys, hospitals and apartment buildings that are causing enormous suffering among innocent Ukrainians. The oligarchs who profit off of Putin’s murderous regime should be the ones who pay for humanitarian aid to Ukraine, not American citizens who are burdened by inflated gas prices.”
The decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent shockwaves across the global economy, as many countries sanctioned Russia and oil prices spiked. The U.S. announced a complete ban on the purchase of Russian oil.
Sanctions from the U.S. and European allies have targeted wealthy individuals closely aligned with President Putin
While condemning the actions of Russia, the Tennessee congressman encouraged staunch action from President Joe Biden’s administration.
“The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and other foreign policy debacles gave Vladimir Putin the green light to invade Ukraine’s Donbas region. In response, President Biden is predictably continuing to project weakness by imposing ineffective financial sanctions against Russian oligarchs and minor banks. The Biden administration should instead hit Russia’s economy where it actually hurts by reversing its woke fossil fuels agenda and becoming an energy exporter to European markets,” Burchett said after Russia’s initial moves.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tim Burchett” by Tim Burchett. Background Photo “Ukraine Solidarity Protest” by Amaury Laporte. CC BY 2.0.
