Kaine, Gallego, Grassley Introduce NOPE Act to Strengthen Russia Sanctions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and other colleagues in introducing the No Oil Profits for Enemies (NOPE) Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and restore congressional oversight of U.S. sanctions on Russia. This bill aims to prevent Russia from profiting off ongoing hostilities with Iran.

"Russia's prolonged war against Ukraine and decision to provide military assistance to Iran, including intelligence about the locations of U.S. forces, should be met with a strong U.S. response-not the easing of sanctions. This bipartisan legislation would strengthen congressional oversight of any decisions by the Administration to lift or waive sanctions on Russia," said Kaine.

CAATSA, enacted during the first Trump Administration in 2017 on a bipartisan basis, requires the President to submit a report to Congress before taking any action that significantly alters foreign policy toward Russia. That submission triggers a 30-day congressional review period, during which the Administration may not implement the change absent a joint resolution of approval. However, CAATSA's review framework only covers sanctions that were in place at the time of enactment. The vast majority of Russia sanctions - those imposed in response to the full-scale 2022 invasion - are not currently covered.

The NOPE Act would close this gap by:

• Bringing all sanctions issued under Executive Orders addressing the national emergency continued by the President on April 10, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 15523) within CAATSA's Section 216 congressional review framework. Before any such sanction can be lifted, waived, or modified, the Administration must notify Congress and allow a 30-day review window.

• Treating any U.S. licensing action affecting Russian energy as a "licensing action that significantly alters U.S. foreign policy" under CAATSA § 216(a)(2)(A), thereby subjecting it to the same congressional review requirement.

"Razom for Ukraine strongly supports Senator Gallego's legislation to strengthen CAATSA and restore robust congressional oversight of U.S. sanctions on the Kremlin. By ensuring that all post-invasion sanctions and energy licenses face rigorous review until Russia ends its war and pays for the destruction it has caused, this bill sends an unmistakable message: the United States will not quietly ease pressure on Putin while Ukraine is still under attack. This approach keeps U.S. policy aligned with our values and with Ukraine's survival," said Oksana Barchuk, Associate Director of Government Affairs Razom for Ukraine.

In addition to Kaine, Gallego, and Grassley, the bill was cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

Full text of the bill is available here.

###