GOP's Fitzpatrick Plans Bill to Block Russian Oil Purchases After Trump's Diesel Deal With Putin

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said he plans to introduce bipartisan legislation to "block any and all purchases of Russian oil," a response to the Russian diesel deal President Trump announced on Friday after a call with Vladimir Putin. The bill, which Fitzpatrick calls the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act, has Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) as an original cosponsor. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) also criticized the sanctions relief, saying it "will only fund the Kremlin's war machine."

The deal calls for 300,000 tons of Russian diesel in October and 500,000 tons in November, rising to 1 million tons after that, according to reporting on the announcement. A Treasury license allows Russian diesel imports into the U.S. until April 7, 2027.

A Forbes contributor argues the volume is too small to matter: October's 300,000 tons would cover about 11 minutes a day of world diesel consumption and amount to about 5% of what the U.S. exports daily. Markets still reacted to the headline. Heating oil futures fell 4.33% to $4.67 a gallon on Friday, and refiners PBF, VLO and MPC fell 5.67%, 2.26% and 1.79%, respectively, Benzinga reported.

The legislation faces long odds: no vote is scheduled and the House calendar is short, which Business Standard said makes the effort largely symbolic. U.S. diesel prices of about $6.23 to $6.28 a gallon remain near the record set on Sept. 22, so pressure to lower fuel costs persists. Watch whether the bill draws Democratic cosponsors and whether October deliveries proceed.