Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a bill Friday to block President Trump's Russian diesel deal, and Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska signed on. Former Vice President Mike Pence also posted that "President Trump should rescind the diesel deal with Russia."
The Prohibit Corrupt Russia Oil Deals Act would cancel the Treasury Department licenses behind the deal and bar new ones, prohibit the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation from investing in Russian energy, and require the administration to impose sanctions on Russian energy. Bacon is the only Republican among its 17 cosponsors.
"This deal won't lower costs for the American people," Meeks said. "It will hand Putin millions of dollars to continue slaughtering Ukrainian civilians with impunity."
Trump announced the arrangement on Oct. 9 after what he called a "highly successful discussion" with Putin, saying Russia would first supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel. Treasury then issued General License 135, authorizing the sale and importation of Russian diesel through April 7, 2027.
The White House says the deal is about lowering prices. "President Trump successfully negotiated another great deal to supply the global market with massive amounts of diesel and bring prices down," spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Newsweek. Trump said of his GOP critics, "I think these are Republicans that can't really be serious," adding, "It's a deal for the rest of the world." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said lawmakers who claim the law bars the deal are "wrong."
The bill faces long odds. The House is not scheduled to vote again until after the Nov. 3 midterms, and any bill would also need Senate approval and could face a Trump veto.
Photo: Rep. Gregory Meeks in Copenhagen, Jan. 17, 2026. Christian Ursilva / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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