Rep. Denny Heck, Rep. Adam Kinzinger Secure Critical Legislative Measures to Combat Russian Aggression in Must-Pass Defense Package

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) applauded the agreement reached by the House and Senate on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes work led by Rep. Heck and Rep. Kinzinger to counter Russian efforts to build the Gazprom Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

“Over the past few months, Congress and the American people have become acutely aware of the challenges that Ukraine faces as it continues its struggle to cast off the yoke of Russian oppression,” said Congressman Heck. “The Nord Stream 2 pipeline threatens Ukraine’s very survival as a country—and the project is nearly complete. I am pleased that Congress has decided to intervene to stop the construction of this pipeline and frustrate Putin’s plans for regional domination.”

“With a crumbling economy and a failing governance, Russia has long tried to use energy dependence as a means to intimidate and coerce our European allies. The continuation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project poses heavy security risks for millions of Europeans, and the world, and it needs to be stopped,” said Congressman Kinzinger. “I’m proud to see my bill H.R. 3206, which imposes specific sanctions to stop construction and completion of the pipeline, be included in the 2020 NDAA text, showing Congress’s support for our allies and our own national security against Russia’s power grabs.”

The Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act (H.R. 3206), introduced by Rep. Kinzinger and Rep. Heck, imposes targeted U.S. sanctions on companies with pipelaying ships doing construction for Russian oil pipelines like Nord Stream 2.

The Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act follows on Rep. Heck’s earlier Nord Stream bill, the Protect European Energy Security Act (H.R. 1081). Sponsored by Representative Heck and Ted Poe (TX-02), this legislation would have required executive branch reports on how the U.S. is actively resisting the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. In addition, it would have required identification of companies involved to prepare for possible future sanctions. As Nord Stream 2 construction continued into 2019, it became necessary to move directly to sanctions included in the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act.

“I want to thank Rep. Kinzinger for his doggedness in pursuing this legislation to protect Ukraine,” said Heck.  “Working on these Nord Stream 2 bills all these many months has made clear to me that there is still strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for our friends in Ukraine.”

The Nord Stream 2 project is a $12 billion natural gas pipeline owned primarily by Gazprom, a Russian Federation-owned oil company with ties to Russian oligarchs and Vladimir Putin. The completion of the project would allow Russian exports to Germany to double, bypass the current route through Ukraine, thus eliminating transit fees and undermining Europe and Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act, as Title LXXV of the FY 2020 NDAA, is expected to pass Congress and be signed into law before year’s end.

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