Duval Times

Washington, D.C. - In response to Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Rick Scott (R-FL) have reintroduced the Halting Enrichment of Russian Oligarchs and Industry Allies of Moscow's Schemes to Leverage its Abject Villainy Abroad (HEROIAM SLAVA) Act. This legislation aims to impose sweeping sanctions on all Russian state-owned enterprises, limiting their access to critical U.S. capital.

The HEROIAM SLAVA Act, named after the iconic Ukrainian rallying cry and symbol of national resistance, targets state-controlled and state-owned companies such as Rosneft, Gazprom, Rosatom, Aeroflot, and RT. These entities have been instrumental in fueling Putin and his criminal war machine.

Senator Rubio, a staunch advocate for holding the Russian regime accountable, emphasized the moral duty and national security interest in limiting any U.S. funds that enrich the pockets of the Russian regime. He stated, "The U.S. will never support Putin and his immoral war. We have a moral duty, and it’s in our national security interest, to do everything in our power to limit any U.S. funds that enrich the pockets of the Russian regime. This bill is vital to limit Putin and his cronies from accessing American capital and putting it towards evil."

Senator Grassley echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to prevent Putin from benefiting financially while his aggressive actions in Ukraine continue. He stated, "We can't allow Putin to squeeze a single American cent out of Russia's state-owned enterprises while his barbaric actions in Ukraine continue. This bill will strike a blow to Moscow and further cripple Putin's war machine."

Senator Scott also condemned Putin and his regime, labeling him a thug and emphasizing the importance of cutting off their access to American money. He said, "Vladimir Putin is a thug and the United States cannot continue to allow him and his evil regime to access American money. The HEROIAM SLAVA Act will stop these state-owned and Putin-backed war-funding enterprises from accessing capital through strict sanctions."

The reintroduction of the HEROIAM SLAVA Act demonstrates the strong bipartisan commitment to holding Russia accountable for its aggression in Ukraine. By imposing sweeping sanctions on Russian state-owned enterprises, the United States aims to limit the financial resources available to Putin and his cronies, hindering their ability to further escalate the conflict.

For more information:

• Rubio: Biden Cannot Claim to Stand With Ukraine if He Doesn’t Hold Chinese Entities Accountable
• Rubio Joins Graham, Colleagues in Resolution Condemning Putin’s War Crimes in Ukraine
• Rubio, Grassley Introduce Bill to Sanction All Russian State-owned Enterprises