Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) announced on Saturday, October 10, 2026, that he will introduce bipartisan legislation to block all U.S. purchases of Russian oil. The proposal, titled the "Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act," seeks to override a recent decision by President Donald Trump to allow Russian diesel imports amid global fuel shortages.
The move follows an agreement announced by President Trump on Friday, October 9, 2026, permitting Russia to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets. The deal includes a projected schedule for additional deliveries, including 500,000 tons in November and up to 3 million tons in subsequent periods depending on refinery conditions. On the same day the deal was announced, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a license authorizing the import and delivery of Russian diesel through April 7, 2027.
Fitzpatrick stated he intends to use a discharge petition to bring the bill directly to the House floor, bypassing committee approval or the Speaker’s consent. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) confirmed he has agreed to be an original cosponsor of the measure. The legislation aims to close exceptions in a 2022 law that banned Russian energy imports but allowed the president to authorize them if deemed in the national interest.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Saturday that the diesel deal signaled to Russia that it could continue military operations against his country. In response, President Trump told reporters that Zelensky could have settled the war previously and suggested that Ukraine needs "a new leader who can make a deal." Within Congress, Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) and three Democratic senators also issued statements opposing the agreement.
The scale of the imports at stake is significant, totaling approximately 4.8 million metric tons. Domestic refining companies are already seeing market impacts; shares of PBF Energy Inc. fell 5.67%, Marathon Petroleum Corp. dropped 1.79%, and Valero Energy Corp. lost 2.26% on October 9 as investors anticipated that a surge in imported supply might reduce profit margins. A successful legislative block would preserve the market conditions these refiners currently operate under while potentially maintaining higher prices for households and businesses at the pump.
The proposed "Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act" sets a precedent for how Congress may use procedural tools like the discharge petition to challenge executive branch foreign policy and trade decisions. By seeking to revoke the presidential waiver granted in 2022, the bill would permanently restrict the administration's ability to use Russian energy as a tool for domestic price stabilization. The immediate next steps involve Fitzpatrick filing the discharge petition when the House is in session. The current Treasury license remains in effect until April 7, 2027, unless the legislation is passed and signed into law before that date.