Midland Over Moscow Act
Bill: H.R.6748 | Sponsor: Rep. Pfluger, August (R-TX)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Midland Over Moscow Act
This bill imposes sanctions related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and revises the expedited approval process for natural gas imports and exports in or out of the United States. (Nord Stream 2 is a pipeline constructed to increase the export of natural gas from Russia to Europe.)
Within 10 days of this bill's enactment, the President must impose sanctions on any entity responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance, financing, or operation of Nord Stream 2, as well as any corporate officer or principal shareholder with a controlling interest in such an entity. The bill also revokes the President's authority to waive certain sanctions related to Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream, another Russian natural gas pipeline project.
The bill also allows any nation, with specified exclusions, to use an expedited process to receive approval to import or export natural gas in or out of the United States (currently only a nation with a free trade agreement with the United States may use the expedited process). Specifically, the bill excludes any nation (1) subject to U.S.-imposed sanctions or trade restrictions, or (2) excluded by the President or Congress for national security reasons.

To impose sanctions with respect to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Midland Over Moscow Act''.

SEC. 2. STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.

    The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, the 
Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Interior shall, within 
180 days, submit to the appropriate congressional committees, a 
strategy detailing the use of diplomatic, financial, and economic means 
to strengthen United States energy independence, and work with NATO, 
and other allies and partners, to make countries in the European 
continent less dependent on Russian oil and gas. The strategy shall 
have the following elements:
            (1) A description of how the reduction of regulatory 
        barriers to domestic energy production could assist in these 
        objectives.
            (2) A description of how economic sanctions can be utilized 
        to counter the Russian Federation's attempts to make Europe 
        dependent on Russian oil and gas, including a description on 
        how the President will end waivers provided pursuant to the 
        Protecting European Energy Security through Sanctions Act 
        (PEESA) in connection with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
            (3) A description of how sanctions on Russia's financial 
        sector, including on multiple major banks and financial systems 
        within the Russian Federation, could be utilized to counter 
        Russia's energy exports to Europe.
            (4) A description of how the President will use economic 
        sanctions to permanently and irreversibly stop the Nord Stream 
        2 pipeline, prevent its construction, and punish all persons 
        and entities responsible for its attempted construction, 
        operation, or development.
            (5) A description of how diplomatic efforts could be 
        utilized to bring together our European and NATO allies, 
        including Germany, to permanently and irreversibly stop the 
        Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
            (6) A description of how Russia's growing relationship with 
        China and Iran in the energy sector effects United States 
        security interests.
            (7) A description of how the President will end the 
        moratorium on oil and gas leases on public land.
            (8) A description of how diplomatic efforts could be 
        utilized to promote dialogue within the European Union on their 
        efforts to diversify their natural gas supply through the 
        Southern Gas Corridor.

SEC. 3. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS RELATED TO NORD STREAM 2.

    (a) Imposition of Sanctions.--Not later than 10 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose sanctions 
under subsection (b)(1) with respect to--
            (1) any entity responsible for planning, construction, 
        maintenance, technical assistance, engineering assistance, 
        financing, or operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline or a 
        successor entity; and
            (2) any other corporate officer of or principal shareholder 
        with a controlling interest in an entity described in paragraph 
        (1).
    (b) Sanctions Described.--
            (1) In general.--The sanctions described in this subsection 
        are the following:
                    (A) Blocking of property.--The President shall 
                exercise all of the powers granted to the President 
                under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 
                (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to 
                block and prohibit all transactions in property and 
                interests in property of the foreign person if such 
                property and interests in property are in the United 
                States, come within the United States, or are or come 
                within the possession or control of a United States 
                person.
                    (B) Aliens ineligible for visas, admission, or 
                parole.--
                            (i) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien 
                        who the Secretary of State or the Secretary of 
                        Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such 
                        Secretaries) knows, or has reason to believe, 
                        has knowingly engaged in any activity described 
                        in subsection (a) is--
                                    (I) inadmissible to the United 
                                States;
                                    (II) ineligible to receive a visa 
                                or other documentation to enter the 
                                United States; and
                                    (III) otherwise ineligible to be 
                                admitted or paroled into the United 
                                States or to receive any other benefit 
                                under the Immigration and Nationality 
                                Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
                            (ii) Current visas revoked.--
                                    (I) In general.--The issuing 
                                consular officer, the Secretary of 
                                State, or the Secretary of Homeland 
                                Security (or a designee of one of such 
                                Secretaries) shall, in accordance with 
                                section 221(i) of the Immigration and 
                                Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), 
                                revoke any visa or other entry 
                                documentation issued to an alien 
                                described in clause (i) regardless of 
                                when the visa or other entry 
                                documentation is issued.
                                    (II) Effect of revocation.--A 
                                revocation under subclause (I) shall 
                                take effect immediately and shall 
                                automatically cancel any other valid 
                                visa or entry documentation that is in 
                                the alien's possession.
            (2) Exceptions.--
                    (A) United nations headquarters agreement.--The 
                sanctions described under paragraph (1)(B) shall not 
                apply with respect to an alien if admitting or paroling 
                the alien into the United States is necessary to permit 
                the United States to comply with the Agreement 
                regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, 
                signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into 
                force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and 
                the United States, or other applicable international 
                obligations.
                    (B) Exception for intelligence, law enforcement, 
                and national security activities.--Sanctions under 
                paragraph (1) shall not apply to any authorized 
                intelligence, law enforcement, or national security 
                activities of the United States.
                    (C) Exception relating to importation of goods.--
                            (i) In general.--Notwithstanding any other 
                        provision of this section, the authorities and 
                        requirements to impose sanctions under this 
                        section shall not include the authority or a 
                        requirement to impose sanctions on the 
                        importation of goods.
                            (ii) Good defined.--In this subparagraph, 
                        the term ``good'' means any article, natural or 
                        man-made substance, material, supply or 
                        manufactured product, including inspection and 
                        test equipment, and excluding technical data.
    (c) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in subsections (b) and 
(c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 
(50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person that violates, attempts to 
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of regulations 
promulgated to carry out this section or the sanctions imposed pursuant 
to this section to the same extent that such penalties apply to a 
person that commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) of that 
Act.
    (d) Implementation Authority.--The President may exercise all 
authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and 205 of the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) 
for purposes of carrying out this section.
    (e) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall, not later than 10 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate 
regulations as necessary for the implementation of this section.
    (f) Repeal of National Interest Waiver Under Protecting Europe's 
Energy Security Act of 2019.--Section 7503 of the Protecting Europe's 
Energy Security Act of 2019 (title LXXV of Public Law 116-92; 22 U.S.C. 
9526 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)(C), by striking ``subsection (i)'' 
        and inserting ``subsection (h)'';
            (2) by striking subsection (f);
            (3) by redesignating subsections (g) through (k) as 
        subsections (f) through (j), respectively; and
            (4) in subsection (i), as redesignated by paragraph (3), by 
        striking ``subsection (h)'' and inserting ``subsection (g)''.

SEC. 4. NATURAL GAS EXPORTS.

    (a) Finding.--Congress finds that expanding natural gas exports 
will lead to increased investment and development of domestic supplies 
of natural gas that will contribute to job growth and economic 
development.
    (b) Natural Gas Exports.--Section 3(c) of the Natural Gas Act (15 
U.S.C. 717b(c)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``or any other nation not excluded by this 
        section'' after ``trade in natural gas'';
            (2) by striking ``(c) For purposes'' and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(c) Expedited Application and Approval Process.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Exclusions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Any nation subject to sanctions 
                or trade restrictions imposed by the United States is 
                excluded from expedited approval under paragraph (1).
                    ``(B) Designation by president or congress.--The 
                President or Congress may designate nations that may be 
                excluded from expedited approval under paragraph (1) 
                for reasons of national security.
            ``(3) Order not required.--No order is required under 
        subsection (a) to authorize the export or import of any natural 
        gas to or from Canada or Mexico.''.
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