The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday that bans the import of enriched uranium produced by Russia as part of an effort to pressure Moscow to cease its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers said it would strengthen the country’s energy and national security by prohibiting imports of Russian uranium for nuclear power plants.
“This threat has intensified as a result of the war in Ukraine,” she added.
The United States banned imports of Russian oil after the invasion of Ukraine last year and imposed a price cap with other Western countries on sea-borne exports of its crude and oil products, but it has not banned imports of its uranium.
![[WCS Special] Why America’s Reliance on Imported Uranium Poses a Risk—Rep. Paul Gosar](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F07%2F25%2FPaul-Gosar-300x180.png&w=1200&q=75)
The United States heavily depends on imported uranium and has more nuclear reactors than any other country, with 93 in operation.
Ms. Rodgers has warned about the risks of continuing this dependence on Russia for nuclear fuels.
Established by Putin
Russia’s uranium production is controlled by Rosatom, a state-owned nuclear energy company formed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007.Ms. Rodgers said in her speech that Rosatom and its fuel subsidiaries received over $800 million from the U.S. nuclear power industry last year alone.
“That number could be even higher this year, and these resources are no doubt going towards funding Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine,” Ms. Rodgers said.
“Further, we’ve seen how Putin has weaponized Europe’s reliance on Russian natural gas. There’s no reason to believe Russia wouldn’t do the same with our nuclear fuel supply, if Putin saw an opportunity,” she added.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) applauded the House for passing a bipartisan companion bill to Ms. Rodgers’s proposal in the upper chamber to ban imports of Russian uranium.
Mr. Barrasso represents the state of Wyoming, which leads in uranium production, having produced an estimated 173,000 pounds in 2019 and accounting for nearly all U.S. production.
“It is estimated that the U.S. spends roughly $1 billion per year on nuclear fuel from Russia. The legislation that Chair Rodgers and I have sponsored will end our dependence on Russian nuclear fuel,” he said.
“The Senate should immediately send it to the president,” he added. The bill must pass the Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden before becoming law.
