House Armed Services Chair Smith: If We’re ‘Really Standing with Ukraine,’ We Should Ban Russian Oil Imports

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) said he supports banning imports of oil from Russia and that “we’ve got to be ready for the fact that will drive up oil prices, that will drive up gas prices. And if we are really standing with Ukraine, we have to be prepared to absorb that.”

Host Jake Tapper asked, “President Biden confirmed today that he is considering banning Russian oil imports, although the White House seems to be now trying to walk that back a bit. Would you support that, even though, obviously, it would damage the U.S. economy?”

Smith responded, “Yes, I would. I mean, that is the one key piece of the Russian economy that we still haven’t gone after. And if we are going to do maximum sanctions, that’s the step to take. Now, here in America, we’ve got to be ready for the fact that will drive up oil prices, that will drive up gas prices. And if we are really standing with Ukraine, we have to be prepared to absorb that. But given what’s happening in Ukraine, any step that we can take that doesn’t bring about actual warfare with Russia, I think we have to take.”

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