WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – President Joe Biden and his administration have warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen soon, and some lawmakers want to take action now.
Lawmakers are united in opposition to an invasion, but divided over how to stop it.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is among those in favor of taking action before Russia invades.
“I would put in sanctions now. And I would say these sanctions are going to stay until you take your troops away,” Scott said.
A group of Republican senators introduced legislation to shut down the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline immediately and send even more aid to Ukraine. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas says it’s meant to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“To show him our resolve before he does it so he can take that into account. And hopefully it will offer some small measure of deterrence,” Cornyn said.
Other lawmakers, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., support the President’s wait and see approach.
“I trust the president to move forward on sanctions in the ways that are necessary to meet the moment right now,” Warren said.
The division isn’t strictly partisan. Some Democrats, like Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, want sanctions now.
“Vladimir Putin is basically a KGB thug. He understands force,” Blumenthal said. “We should be relying on the economic force we can bring to bear.”
Discussions over a bipartisan sanctions package were stalled over disagreement about how far to take them. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., says he’s open to sanctions with certain stipulations.
“I would favor sanctions that were immediate if we gave the president a waiver,” Warner said.
Senators from both parties did sign a resolution declaring support for Ukraine and warning Russia against an invasion. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., was part of that effort.
“We are unified in our opposition to Putin’s aggression and let him know that we too want to remind him there’s a heavy price to be paid if he does that,” Durbin said.