Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Senator Rand Paul Blocking Bipartisan Legislation To Hold Putin Accountable

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor about the need to pass legislation to strip Russia of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), which is being blocked by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

As I’ve said all week long, there’s been an imperative for the Senate to unite and quickly pass legislation stripping Russia of Normal Trade Relation Status with the United States.

The House has acted. The White House supports it. As the President meets with our allies in Europe, it’s very important we send a message to the world that we are united in making sure Putin pays a heavy price for his war on Ukraine. 

After the House passed PNTR last week by 424-8—including the Support from Leader McCarthy—it is unreasonable and deadly wrong for the Senate not to do the same, especially while the President is abroad.

So we are seeking consent to move this legislation forward A-S-A-P.

After a day of long negotiations yesterday, I reached an agreement with Senator Crapo—with concurrence from Senators Wyden and Manchin—to move forward on PNTR while also taking action on oil ban legislation separately.

Now, I understand that Senator Paul has further objection and is demanding we amend this agreement with a major change to the legislation.

Senator Paul appears to be the lone Senator demanding this. I believe that all other 99 Senators are in agreement to proceed.

Look, all of us want to see this bill move quickly, because it is so very much needed and it’s so bipartisan, so I am willing to include as part of our UC right now that Senator Paul be entitled to have his amendment with a majority vote threshold.

So the question before Senator Paul is: even though the vote was 424-8 in the House, and is very bipartisan here in the Senate, is he going to tank PNTR because his arcane interpretation is not forced into the bill?

Can Senator Paul take yes for an answer?

Can let us move forward today to hold Putin accountable?

Every Senator would like his proposal or her proposal put in the bill, but in the Senate we vote and we're willing to give the Senator a vote even though we greatly disagree with his interpretation of the law that's here.

So, I truly, I earnestly and strongly hope that my Republican colleague does not object to bipartisan legislation that would deal a heavy, heavy blow on Putin’s Russia, especially after the House of Representatives acted with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Many of our Republican colleagues have criticized the Biden administration for supposedly not acting quickly enough on Putin, but now one Republican Senator is holding up this overwhelmingly bipartisan bill.

I strongly hope some of my other Republican colleagues can persuade Senator Paul to accept our agreement here so that we can move forward.  

Let us be resolute in standing with Ukraine and fighting back against Putin’s brutal war by passing PNTR in the Senate right away.

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