March Legislative Update Newsletter

Dear Friend,

Like many of you, I am deeply saddened for the people of Ukraine during this incredibly difficult time. We must stand together with our allies to stop Putin. He clearly wants to end America's leadership as the world's oldest democracy and dim the light that democracies share. We cannot let that happen.

Protecting Democracy Worldwide

Putin's criminal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has ended 72 years of peace in Europe. It's an assault on democracy that should concern every American. It is critical that we put partisanship aside and come together to stand up to Putin's aggression and prevent this brutal and unprovoked war. During unprecedented times at home and abroad, we have always done our best to support our allies and defend our democracy. This situation is no different. I support Ukraine's sovereignty, and I will continue to work in Congress to prevent elevated threats to America and the world.

I was inspired by President Zelenskyy's courage and leadership as he virtually addressed Congress. We must continue to do everything we can to support the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom and democracy. The United States stands with the people and democratically elected government of Ukraine.

To combat rising aggressions from the Russian military, I've co-sponsored 13 pieces of legislation to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine, impose sanctions on Russia, and defend Ukraine's sovereignty. I've joined my colleagues on various efforts like calling on social media companies to prevent Russian disinformation of Ukraine and calling for the suspension of Russia from the United Nations, including the UN Security Council.

Last week, I proudly voted to pass a bipartisangovernment funding package, which allocated $13.6 billion in emergency funding for security and humanitarian needs for Ukraine. President Biden allocated an additional $800 million for stinger missiles and other anti-aircraft to provide air support, as well as anti-armor weapons to be sent to Ukraine.

Working with our allies

Strengthening our transatlantic Alliance

It is essential that all transatlantic allies rise to the challenge of the moment. As Co-Chair of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue (TLD), I joined my counterpart, Radek Sikorski, MEP-Poland in a joint statement expressing our complete support for the people and democratically elected government of Ukraine. We are committed to working tirelessly with the European Parliament and U.S Congress to defend Ukraine and uphold our mission to defend democracy and protect human rights.

The courage of the Ukrainian people and their government should inspire us all to stand up and support Ukraine. Oleksandra Ustinova, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament has been a strong advocate on behalf of her country. I invited her to join me on GV-Wire Unfiltered to discuss the ongoing situation on the ground in Ukraine and how the U.S. will continue to support its right to defend themselves from the Russian military to protect their independence.

As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I recently participated in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly meetings in Brussels. All thirty countries of NATO outlined a strategy to protect NATO countries from Putin and provide military aid to Ukraine. I can say there is total unity among democratic nations. We are committed to standing together to protect our values and strong sovereignty as independent nations.

Holding Putin Accountable

As the Russian military continues its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we must continue to stand strong against Putin. If Putin continues these atrocities, he will see more and more critical elements of Russia's economy sanctioned and isolated from the rest of the world. As a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, I led the initial efforts to ban the importation of Russian oil and gas products.

The U.S. House of Representatives took decisive action to punish Putin by passing the bipartisan Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act, which will prohibit the importation of Russian oil and energy products, review Russia's access to the World Trade Organization, and reauthorize the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, to further impose sanctions on Russia. It's now time for the Senate to send it to the President's desk!

Boosting Energy Independence here at home

We have an opportunity to work with our allies to sustain the global energy market and boost energy independence here at home! To lower costs at the pump, I pushed the Biden administration to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has released more than 90 million barrels since December.

Since President Biden took office, his administration has approved 3,557 permits for oil and gas drilling on public lands in its first year, which outpaces the previous administration's first-year total of 2,658. In California, the Biden administration approved 187 permits. Currently, there are 9,000 approved unused permits that oil and gas companies could easily tap into to boost production. It's necessary to boost domestic energy production, create good-paying jobs, and further our progress towards energy independence.

We must also invest in energy efficiency while transitioning to cheaper, clean energy and other policies that will diversify and sustain our domestic energy sector. Natural gas is a critical transition fuel that we must expand in use, because of its immediate economic viability. Concurrently with new renewable energy and groundbreaking technologies that provide greater efficiencies is the smart strategy for long-term clean energy independence.

Ukraine Resources

As the situation in Ukraine develops, my team and I are closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of U.S. Citizens on the ground. We are working directly with the U.S. State Department and other agencies. If you need assistance on behalf of U.S. citizens and/or lawful permanent residents in Ukraine, please emailor call my Fresnoor Mercedoffice.

U.S. citizens in Ukraine should followEmbassy Kyiv and TravelGov on Twitter, and complete this form so U.S. officials can communicate with you. U.S. citizens seeking to depart Ukraine can call 1-833-741-2777 (in the U.S.) or 1-606-260-4379 (from overseas). Additionally, see guidance and resources from the State Department below:

As we move forward, remember that my staff and I are here to help. I want to hear from you about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Sincerely,

Jim Costa
Member of Congress

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