Sen. Cramer Discusses His Nord Stream 2 Bill and Support for Israel on Fox Business

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Armed Services Committee Member, joined Stuart Varney on Fox Business this morning to discuss the Protecting Our Well-being by Expanding Russian Sanctions (POWERS) Act, legislation he introduced yesterday to expand sanctions against Russia and reinstate sanctions the Biden Administration is waiving on Russian people and entities involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The senator also discussed yesterday's ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and why the United States needs to support its ally, Israel. Excerpts and a link to the full interview are below.

On the President's Nord Stream 2 Actions:

"The official policy of the United States to oppose the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which makes it very absurd that the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief looking out for our national security and our economy, would actually lift the sanctions that we had put into the National Defense Authorization Act … It's really absurd. Here we have a president who's deliberately and aggressively killing our energy industry and jobs while at the same time trying to build Russia's. It makes no sense."

On Congressional Democrats' Response:

"A number of Democrats have spoken out against what the President did in lifting the sanctions. We have members of the Armed Services Committee and other committees who are Democrats who have been strongly opposed to lifting sanctions. They've been greatly opposed to Nord Stream 2 … but here's the really crazy thing: Vladimir Putin's natural gas is actually produced and shipped via pipeline with about a 40% greater carbon footprint than U.S. natural gas put in liquid form and shipped to the same locations. So it's bad for our economy, bad for national security, and bad for the environment."

On the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire:

"Once again we're playing footsie with Iran and looking at lifting their sanctions and allowing them to put more oil into the marketplace, which just gives them more money to fight these wars. It just makes no sense whatsoever. I am heartened most by the fact that [Israeli] Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated if this fight picks up again and if the rockets start flying back at Israel again, the response will be severe. It needs to be. We need to stand with Israel in this unequivocally."

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