A coalition of Senate Democrats is pressing the Trump administration to reverse its decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian oil, warning the move is padding Vladimir Putin's war chest and driving up costs for American consumers.
In a letter sent last Thursday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 14 Democratic senators urged the administration to end the short-term waiver, which was initially granted in mid-March to offset energy shortages caused by the conflict with Iran. The lawmakers argued that the policy is undermining U.S. efforts to isolate Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Continuing to pause these sanctions is a mistake that President Trump must reverse immediately,” the senators wrote in the letter, obtained by Punchbowl News. “In addition, he must use every tool at his disposal to cut into Russia’s war windfall profits, instead of enabling their additional revenue.”
The relief measure, which allowed Russian oil imports despite existing sanctions, was originally set to expire on April 11 but was later extended to May 16. The administration implemented the waiver after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit chokepoint, during the Iran conflict sent global crude prices soaring. As of Tuesday morning, Brent crude was trading at roughly $110 per barrel, a sharp rise from the pre-conflict level of around $70. Meanwhile, the average U.S. gas price climbed to nearly $4.50 per gallon, according to AAA.
The senators criticized the president for creating what they called a “self-made global energy crisis” that has added over 85 cents to the cost of a gallon of gasoline. “Putin has openly spoken of using the crisis to reestablish export markets for Russian oil,” they noted, warning that the policy risks replenishing the Kremlin’s war machine.
The letter was signed by Sens. Michael Bennet (Colo.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Angela Alsobrooks (Md.), John Hickenlooper (Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Peter Welch (Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Andy Kim (N.J.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Gary Peters (Mich.) and Adam Schiff (Calif.). The lawmakers also addressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Energy Secretary Chris Wright in the correspondence.
The White House has largely dismissed concerns about rising energy costs. In a Truth Social post earlier this month, Trump described the economic strain as “a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace.” The administration has taken other steps to mitigate the impact, including tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, boosting domestic oil production, and temporarily easing sanctions on oil from Iran and Venezuela.
Democrats, however, argue that these measures are insufficient and that the Russian oil waiver is a strategic blunder. “He has options that he can and must use to reimpose the stigma on and dissuade purchases of Russian oil,” the letter stated, urging Trump to restore the sanctions immediately.
The Hill has reached out to the Treasury Department for comment on the senators’ demands.
