[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 10, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4752-H4754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            ISOLATE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ACT OF 2022

  Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 6891) to exclude government officials of the 
Russian Federation from certain international meetings, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6891

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Isolate Russian Government 
     Officials Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OF THE RUSSIAN 
                   FEDERATION.

       (a) Policy of the United States.--It is the policy of the 
     United States to seek to exclude government officials of the 
     Russian Federation, to the maximum extent practicable, from 
     participation in meetings, proceedings, and other activities 
     of the following organizations:
       (1) Group of 20.
       (2) Bank for International Settlements.
       (3) Basel Committee for Banking Standards.
       (4) Financial Stability Board.
       (5) International Association of Insurance Supervisors.
       (6) International Organization of Securities Commissions.
       (b) Implementation.--The Secretary of the Treasury, the 
     Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the 
     Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, shall 
     take all necessary steps to advance the policy set forth in 
     subsection (a).
       (c) Termination.--This section shall have no force or 
     effect on the earlier of--
       (1) the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of 
     this Act; or
       (2) 30 days after the date that the President reports to 
     Congress that the government of the Russian Federation has 
     ceased its destabilizing activities with respect to the 
     sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
       (d) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of 
     this section if the President reports to the Congress that 
     the waiver is in the national interest of the United States 
     and includes an explanation of the reasons therefor.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Garcia) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6891, the Isolate Russian 
Government Officials Act, sponsored by the Congresswoman from Missouri 
(Mrs. Wagner). I commend her for her work on this bill, and I 
appreciate that she worked with Chairwoman Waters to improve the bill.
  The Russian Government participates, along with the U.S., in a wide 
range of international organizations that are intended to promote 
collaboration and harmonize global standards on critical issues like 
financial stability. However, Russia shattered any notion of 
international harmony by violating the sovereignty of Ukraine and its 
people with Putin's unlawful invasion.
  As such, Russia should no longer have a seat at a table of meetings 
of a wide range of important bodies, including the Basel Committee and 
the International Organization of Securities Commissions.
  I applaud the Biden administration for securing the suspension of 
Russia from the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial 
Stability Board. It is time to kick the Kremlin out of every other room 
and pass H.R. 6891.
  Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support 
this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                      Washington, DC, May 9, 2022.
     Hon. Maxine Waters,
     Committee on Financial Services,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chair Waters: In an effort to work cooperatively and 
     to expedite consideration of H.R. 6891, Isolate Russian 
     Government Officials Act of 2022, the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill as 
     to the provisions that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of 
     the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
       The Committee on Foreign Affairs takes this action with the 
     mutual understanding that the Committee does not waive any 
     jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in H.R. 6891 
     or similar legislation, and the Committee will be 
     appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar 
     legislation moves forward. The Committee also reserves the 
     right to seek appointment of Committee on Foreign Affairs 
     conferees during any House-Senate conference convened for 
     this legislation with your support for any such request.
       Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter 
     confirming this understanding and ask that a copy of our 
     exchange of letters on this matter be included in the 
     Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H.R. 6891.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Gregory W. Meeks,
     Chair.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                              Committee on Financial Services,

                                      Washington, DC, May 9, 2022.
     Hon. Gregory Meeks,
     Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mister Chairman: I am writing to acknowledge your 
     letter dated May 9, 2022, regarding the waiver by the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs of any Rule X jurisdiction 
     claims over the matters contained in H.R. 6891, ``Isolate 
     Russian Government Officials Act of 2022.'' The Committee on 
     Financial Services confirms our mutual understanding that 
     your Committee does not waive any jurisdiction over the 
     subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and 
     your Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved 
     as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we 
     may address any remaining issues within your jurisdiction.
       The Committee on Financial Services further recognizes your 
     interest in appointment of outside conferees from the 
     Committee on Agriculture should this bill or similar language 
     be considered in a conference with the Senate.
       Pursuant to your request, I will ensure that this exchange 
     of letters is included in the Congressional Record during 
     Floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate your 
     cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to 
     continuing to work with you as this measure moves through the 
     legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Maxine Waters,
                                                       Chairwoman.

  Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of Congresswoman Wagner's 
bill, H.R. 6891, the Isolate Russian Government Officials Act.
  As the United States and our allies confront Russia's aggression in 
Ukraine, we must show the world that the Congress can unite around 
bipartisan legislation to hold the Putin regime accountable.
  I thank my friend, Congresswoman Wagner, who recognized early that 
Russia's invasion of Ukraine required a complete rethinking of Moscow's 
involvement and engagement in our international organizations.
  Congresswoman Wagner is eminently qualified for that as she is a

[[Page H4753]]

senior member of both the House Financial Services Committee and the 
House Foreign Affairs Committee and has had the distinction of serving 
our Nation abroad as our Ambassador.
  Congresswoman Wagner's bill would establish that U.S. policy is to 
exclude Russia from participating in key international bodies until 
Moscow withdraws completely from Ukraine.
  I think Americans join us in knowing that it is illogical and 
unreasonable for a country that threatens peace in Europe and financial 
stability globally to take part in overseeing the world's many 
multilateral financial system organizations.
  Our strong sanctions against the Putin regime have been vital to 
raising the costs and imposing new ones, as we have talked about on 
this floor today, on Moscow, on Putin's leadership, on his cronies. But 
Moscow must pay a diplomatic cost as well.
  We were in Romania and Poland, many of us on both sides of the aisle, 
over the last few weeks, and we have also had some extraordinary 
presentations by the distinguished Ambassador to the United Nations 
from Ukraine. Universally, diplomats in the European Union, across 
Europe, and at the United Nations are asking themselves: Are we really 
going to have business as usual when a member of the U.N. Security 
Council invades another United Nations member and destroys a country?
  Today, we are proposing to employ a heavy diplomatic cost on Moscow, 
and that means leaving Russian Government officials on the outside, 
Madam Speaker, looking in.
  After H.R. 6891 was introduced, Russia was suspended from the Bank 
for International Settlements and agreed to no longer participate in 
the meetings of the FSB, the Financial Stability Board. These moves 
would be codified in law when Mrs. Wagner's bill is enacted. We now 
need the G20 to follow suit.
  While it is a symbolic step for Treasury Secretary Yellen and other 
allied officials to walk out of the recent G20 meeting last month, 
where Russian representatives were attending, this Congress and our 
transatlantic partners need to do more.
  Under this bill, a hostile Russia would have no future in the G20. 
H.R. 6891 presents a clear choice for the Putin regime: End your 
destabilizing, illegal violations of Ukrainian sovereignty or remain an 
international pariah.
  Our response to Putin's invasion should signal to China a similar 
fate awaits Beijing should it ever decide to follow in Putin's ill-
conceived footsteps. The costs imposed on Russia through this bill 
foreshadow costs that China or any other nation bears if it violates 
the international norms of behavior.
  This strong measure passed unanimously in the House Financial 
Services Committee, and I, too, welcome its passage on this House 
floor. I thank Chair Waters for her work on H.R. 6891 and appreciate 
the strong bipartisan work on this important national security, 
economic security, and diplomatic cost measure.
  Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri 
(Mrs. Wagner), the author of H.R. 6891. Let me reiterate Congresswoman 
Wagner's experience as the vice chairwoman of the House Financial 
Services Committee and vice chairwoman for the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee.

                              {time}  1645

  Mrs. WAGNER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Arkansas (Mr. 
Hill), who is managing this set of Financial Services Committee 
sanctions against Russia, for yielding me the time.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 6891, the Isolate 
Russian Government Officials Act, a bipartisan bill that would exclude 
Russian Government officials from participating in key international 
bodies until Moscow puts a stop to its brutal and utterly unprovoked 
war on Ukraine.
  These Russian officials would be excluded from international bodies, 
including the G20 and other organizations that oversee the world's 
financial system. Taking part in these groups' proceedings should be 
out of the question for a country that has ended decades of peace in 
Europe and threatened financial stability globally.
  As we know, the U.S. and our allies have levied punishing sanctions 
against the Putin regime, and these measures have imposed immense costs 
on Moscow, but there must be diplomatic costs as well. That means 
leaving Russian Government officials on the outside of every one of 
these key organizations looking in.
  After I introduced H.R. 6891, I was pleased to see the President 
called upon Russia to be ejected from the G20, and this legislation 
would ensure that Treasury and the Federal Reserve take all necessary 
steps to advance this as U.S. policy and law.
  The Financial Services Committee, on a bipartisan basis, has 
traditionally pursued clear objectives in its national security 
legislation. Our bills are a means to an end, and my legislation is no 
exception.
  While H.R. 6891 takes a hard stance against Russian officials, it 
provides an off-ramp for Moscow if, and only if, Putin chooses to end 
the violence in Ukraine. There is also waiver authority so that the 
executive branch can have maximum leverage when negotiating an end to 
the Russian hostilities.
  But let's be crystal clear. Just as launching an illegal and 
unilateral attack on Ukraine was wholly Putin's choice, and his alone, 
so too is it his choice to bring Russia back into the fold of the 
international community by ending his war on Ukraine.
  China, and other countries and adversaries, are watching our response 
to Russia closely, and our resolve in the face of Putin's invasion 
should signal to China, and others, that it will become an 
international pariah if Beijing ever follows Moscow's playbook.
  Benefiting from participation in international organizations, 
including the ones in my bill, calls for a basic level of commitment to 
international order. We must not let others take this for granted.
  Again, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support 
of H.R. 6891, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill, the Isolate 
Russian Government Officials Act.
  Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), who is a member of the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Illinois for his 
indulgence.
  I rise in strong support of the effort of my good friend and 
colleague, Mrs. Wagner of Missouri, on H.R. 6891. I think it is 
important that we speak with one voice in this body that the brutal, 
reckless, and unprovoked invasion of Russia in Ukraine and the terrible 
toll it has taken on the Ukrainian people is not acceptable, not to the 
American people and certainly not to this Congress.
  Taking the steps enumerated in Mrs. Wagner's bill is a very important 
matter in isolating Russia and in raising the cost to Russia of this 
reckless and brutal invasion.
  It is not okay to target hospitals. It is not okay to target innocent 
citizens. It is not okay to target children, including children's 
cancer hospitals, with missiles raining down on their heads and killing 
the innocents.
  It is not okay in the 21st century to settle disputes kinetically, 
that is to say, by military invasion. Until and unless Russia stops its 
actions in Ukraine and withdraws from its sovereign territory 
completely, we need to stand as one with our allies and as one Nation 
in saying that we will resist, and we will assist the Ukrainian people 
in resisting this ruthless action by Vladimir Putin and his kleptocrats 
in Moscow.
  Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Missouri for her leadership, 
and I am proud to support this effort.
  Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
for the purpose of closing.
  First, I reiterate my thanks to Mrs. Wagner for her leadership on 
this bill and as she has done so well ably, even as a diplomat in our 
own House of Representatives, provided leadership through the 
Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services on this issue.
  Secondly, let me reiterate Mr. Connolly's comment that we do speak in 
one voice on this House floor as it relates to Putin's illegal, 
unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation, Ukraine, particularly 
egregious for a permanent

[[Page H4754]]

member of the U.N. Security Council, to place the world in this 
position. But I think we do have to take to heart Ukrainian Ambassador 
to the United Nations' view of ``we are not going to have business as 
usual.''
  So while we speak as one voice here in the people's House, let's 
encourage the executive branch, under President Biden, to also speak 
with one voice on this point. Let's not have weasel words from former 
Secretary Kerry talking about, ``Oh, but we need the Russians' support 
on climate'' or Jake Sullivan saying, ``Oh, but we have got to have 
Russian support negotiating with Iran on the failed JCPOA reentry 
project of this administration.''
  I agree it is not business as usual, and you can't have it both ways 
when you are having Ukraine, a nation of over 40 million people, the 
size of the State of Texas, in the heart of central Europe, invaded by 
a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. It is outrageous. They 
don't have a seat at the table, and this bill demonstrates it and 
demonstrates that strong bipartisan view in the House of 
Representatives that Putin doesn't deserve a seat at the table.
  I think Americans, as I said earlier, believe it is illogical and 
unreasonable for a country that threatens peace on the Continent of 
Europe and financial stability globally in any way, shape, or form, 
take part in overseeing the economic affairs of our international 
order.
  Therefore, I reiterate that this bipartisan support for Ukraine is 
fully embraced in H.R. 6891. I urge all Members to support it, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  I, again, thank Representative Wagner, her staff, as well as Ranking 
Member McHenry and his staff for working with us on this legislation.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in 
supporting H.R. 6891, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6891, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________