Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Providing An Update On Bipartisan Legislation To Revoke Permanent Normal Trade Relations With Russia

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor and provided an update on bipartisan House-passed legislation that would revoke Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Negotiations are continuing on passing bipartisan legislation to strip Russia of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with the United States.

This legislation is greatly needed and timely as President Biden continues meeting with European allies regarding Putin’s despicable war on Ukraine. The House passed PNTR by 424-8, 424-8 and the Senate absolutely should pass it with equally strong bipartisan support. There’s no justification to delay a popular policy that would deal a heavy, heavy blow on Putin’s Russia, especially given that it got such strong Republican support, including from Leader McCarthy in the House.

And yesterday, I’m happy to say, my team and I had a productive series of talks with Senators Crapo, Wyden, Manchin and the White House.

We reached an agreement with Senator Crapo to move forward on PNTR as soon as we can, while addressing oil ban legislation separately. That way the PNTR legislation can go right to the president's desk.

I hope the rest of my Republican colleagues will get with the program quickly, so we can send PNTR legislation to the president’s desk as soon as possible. We need a little more work but we are close to passing this urgent legislation.

###