{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=551F4394-3A46-4EC2-9B87-F99148E195C8", "Fischer on Senate Floor: Pass the Sanctioning Russia Act", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", "fischer", "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in support of the Sanctioning Russia Act, which she is an original cosponsor of. The legislation will impose mandatory sanctions on Russia\u2019s political leadership, financial institutions, and energy sector \u2014 putting economic pressure on Moscow to end Putin\u2019s war against Ukraine.\n\nClick the image above to watch a video of Fischer\u2019s remarks.\n\nClick here to download audio.\n\nClick here to download video.\n\nFischer\u2019s Senate floor speech as prepared for delivery:\n\nM. President,\n\nLindsey Graham. Friend. Colleague. Tireless national security advocate.\n\nHe was a true leader in strengthening our military and our country\u2019s defense.\n\nI miss him dearly.\n\nI am so pleased his beloved sister, Darline, now serves here in this institution.\n\nShe is carrying on his legacy and honoring his commitment to the people of South Carolina and this country.\n\nM. President, I rise here today to, yes, pay tribute to Lindsey Graham \u2013 but to also call on my colleagues to help us carry on one of his greatest efforts: ending Putin\u2019s barbaric and unjust war against sovereign Ukraine.\n\nFor more than four years, the Ukrainian people have shown extraordinary resilience and resolve. They have defended their homeland with courage that has inspired the world.\n\nIn 2022, Vladimir Putin thought he could seize eastern Ukraine in days.\n\nHe thought he could drag Europe back into the dark shadow of the Soviet Union.\n\nHe thought he would be feared and respected.\n\nBut he is neither strong nor powerful. He is a war criminal.\n\nPutin has made clear his intentions to push beyond Ukraine and into NATO territory.\n\nRussian drones have encroached on Polish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, and Romanian airspace.\n\nThese were deliberate provocations to test NATO\u2019s resolve.\n\nPutin seeks to push deeper into Europe, to see just how far he can go before we push back.\n\nThat is why the United States and our allies must raise the stakes through tougher sanctions and a stronger U.S. deterrence posture along NATO\u2019s eastern flank.\n\nI commend the Polish, Dutch, German, and Italian Armed Forces for their swift and professional response in intercepting drones that could have killed innocent civilians during these incursions.\n\nTheir actions remind us that NATO\u2019s strength lies in unity and readiness.\n\nPresident Trump has made clear that Europe must carry more of the burden for its own security.\n\nPoland, in particular, has answered that call, committing 5 percent of its GDP to defense. Other allies are stepping up as well.\n\nThis is the path forward: a stronger, more capable NATO prepared to deter and defeat any threat.\n\nBut make no mistake \u2014 Putin understands only one language: power.\n\nAnd the surest road to peace in Europe lies in NATO\u2019s strength and Ukraine\u2019s survival.\n\nYet strength must also be economic.\n\nThe Kremlin\u2019s war machine runs on the money it makes from selling cheap oil and gas to countries like China, India, and Brazil.\n\nThose nations then profit by reselling Russian energy at a markup.\n\nThat must end.\n\nIt is long overdue for the financial enablers of Russia\u2019s atrocities to pay a price.\n\nThey cannot keep fueling Putin\u2019s war and expect business as usual with the United States.\n\nThat is why Congress must pass the Sanctioning Russia Act.\n\nThis legislation would impose mandatory sanctions on Russia\u2019s political leadership, financial institutions, energy sector, and sanctions evasion networks.\n\nBy employing targeted tariffs, this policy would pressure the world\u2019s largest purchasers of Russian energy to reduce their dependence on Moscow.\n\nThis bill gives the president maximum flexibility to enforce these measures, ensuring both legal strength and political durability.\n\nI am grateful to Senator Blumenthal, who worked closely with Lindsey on this important bipartisan legislation.\n\nAnd I am encouraged to see him carry this effort forward.\n\nI was proud to be an early supporter of this bill, and I am proud to support this updated version now.\n\nThe Sanctioning Russia Act is the sledgehammer we need: decisive economic pressure that cripples Putin\u2019s lifeline and hastens the day his war with Ukraine finally ends.\n\nPeace will not come from weakness or hesitation. It will come from strength \u2014 military, economic, and moral strength \u2014 wielded together by the free nations of the world.\n\nI ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join our broad coalition in supporting this bill.\n\nLet us carry on Lindsey\u2019s mission.\n\nLet us stand up to evil.\n\nLet us bring freedom and security to the people of Ukraine.\n\nThank you, M. President. I yield the floor.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=551F4394-3A46-4EC2-9B87-F99148E195C8"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0582189317792654, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}