Senate

Warren, Shaheen urge Trump administration not to extend Russian oil sanctions waiver

Comments:

by Ryan Mancini - 05/15/26 10:07 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

by Ryan Mancini - 05/15/26 10:07 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Friday called on the Trump administration to not extend a waiver on sanctions for anyone who purchases oil from Russia, which is set to expire just after midnight on Saturday.

“Tonight, when the current license for Russian oil expires, it should not be renewed,” Shaheen, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Warren, the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee’s ranking member, said in a letter to the Treasury Department about the waiver, General License 134B.

They called on the department to “finally end its ill-conceived policy of helping Russia make even more money from President Trump’s reckless war in Iran.”

“With the average price of gas above $4.50 a gallon, there is no evidence that this license is reducing costs for American families burdened by the President’s conflict in the Middle East,” their letter reads. “Meanwhile, Trump is lining Putin’s coffers at the same time that Russia has offered Iran assistance in targeting and killing American service members.”

The Democratic senators accused the administration of failing to explain how the license helps in any way, suggesting that it is because Trump’s “incoherent policy toward Russia is only enabling a bloodthirsty dictator to continue his war of aggression,” referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ahead of the waiver’s expiration, India called on the U.S. to extend the waiver, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The U.S. has previously called on India to cut back on discounted oil purchases as a way to keep pressuring Russia.

The Hill has reached out to the Treasury Department for comment.

The department last month extended the waiver for 30 days until May 16. The Trump administration was in the midst of negotiations with Iran to end the conflict and eventually lower oil prices. A source familiar with the extension told The Hill at the time that “partner nations requested the U.S. extend the waiver due to ongoing pressures in Asia.”

Warren was one of 14 senators who earlier this month called on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to reimpose the sanctions temporarily lifted on Russian oil in order to offset rising energy costs caused by the war in Iran. They added that they were concerned this temporary measure could help Russia in its own war with Ukraine.

“Continuing to pause these sanctions is a mistake that President Trump must reverse immediately,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter shared by Punchbowl News.

Bipartisan members of Congress, led by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), last month also introduced legislation to strengthen sanctions law and restore congressional oversight over sanctions against Russia.

Add as preferred source on Google