Text of Senate Amendment 6701

On 2026-07-16, Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6701" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6701

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4140-S4142] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6701. Mr. DAINES submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: Insert after section 111 the following: SEC. 111A. PROHIBITION ON IMPORTATION OF MINERALS FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION; SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO MINING INDUSTRY. (a) Prohibition on Importation.-- (1) In general.--Beginning on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, no mineral specified in paragraph (2) may be imported into the United States if the mineral is-- (A) produced in the Russian Federation or by a Russian entity; or [[Page S4141]] (B) determined to have been exchanged with, swapped for, or otherwise obtained in lieu of a mineral described in subparagraph (A) in a manner designed to evade or circumvent the application of this subsection. (2) Minerals specified.--The minerals specified in this paragraph are the following: (A) Platinum, unwrought or in semimanufactured forms, classified under heading 7110 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (in this subsection referred to as the ``HTS''), including-- (i) palladium; (ii) braggite; (iii) rhodium; and (iv) ruthenium. (B) Nickel classified under heading 2604 of the HTS. (C) Copper, ores and concentrates, classified under heading 2603 of the HTS, including zinc. (3) Termination.--The prohibition under paragraph (1) shall terminate on the date that is one year after the President certifies to Congress that the Government of the Russian Federation has ended all hostilities against Ukraine. (4) Russian entity defined.--In this subsection, the term ``Russian entity'' means an entity organized under the laws of the Russian Federation or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Government of the Russian Federation. (b) Sanctions With Respect to Mining Industry.-- (1) Nornickel.--Not later than 15 days after making a determination under subsection (c), and every 90 days thereafter, the President shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (d) with respect to-- (A) any directors of, officers of, and shareholders with an interest in, Nornickel or any subsidiary or successor entity of Nornickel; and (B) any foreign government or foreign person that has knowingly sold, supplied, transferred, or purchased nickel originally sourced from the Russian Federation, Nornickel, or any subsidiary or successor entity of Nornickel. (2) Mining entities owned by sanctioned persons.--Not later than 15 days after making a determination under subsection (c), and every 90 days thereafter, the President shall-- (A) impose the sanctions described in subsection (d) with respect to any entity in the mining industry a majority of the ownership interest in which is held by a person, or a group of persons, subject to sanctions under this Act or other sanctions imposed by the United States with respect to the Russian Federation on or before the date of the enactment of this Act; and (B) prohibit any United States person from engaging in any transaction with an entity described in subparagraph (A). (c) Determination.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 15 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the President shall determine if any of the following actors has engaged, is engaging, or is planning to engage in an act described in paragraph (2): (A) The Government of the Russian Federation. (B) Any proxy of the Government of the Russian Federation. (C) Any individual or entity controlled by or acting at the direction of the Government of the Russian Federation. (D) Any person described in paragraph (3). (2) Acts described.--An act described in this paragraph is any of the following: (A) Refusing to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine. (B) Violating any negotiated peace agreement. (C) Initiating another military invasion of Ukraine. (D) Overthrowing, dismantling, or seeking to subvert the Government of Ukraine. (3) Persons described.--The persons described in this subsection are the following: (A) The following officials of the Government of the Russian Federation: (i) The President of the Russian Federation. (ii) The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. (iii) The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. (iv) The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. (v) The Deputy Ministers of Defense of the Russian Federation. (vi) The Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces of the Russian Federation. (vii) The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation. (viii) The Commander of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation. (ix) The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy of the Russian Federation. (x) The Commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation. (xi) The Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Russian Federation. (xii) The Commander of Logistical Support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. (xiii) The commanders of the Russian Federation military districts. (xiv) The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. (xv) The Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation. (xvi) The Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation. (xvii) The Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. (xviii) The Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation. (xix) The Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. (xx) The Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation. (xxi) The Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. (xxii) The Director of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. (xxiii) The Director of the National Guard of the Russian Federation. (xxiv) The Federal Guard Service of the Russian Federation. (B) Any foreign person that-- (i) knowingly sells, supplies, transfers, markets, or provides defense articles, equipment, goods, services, technology, or materials to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; (ii) knowingly conducts a transaction with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; (iii) has engaged in or attempted to engage in activities that-- (I) materially undermine the military readiness of Ukraine; (II) seek to overthrow, dismantle, or subvert the Government of Ukraine; (III) debilitate the critical infrastructure of Ukraine; (IV) debilitate cybersecurity systems through malicious electronic attacks or cyberattacks on Ukraine; (V) undermine the democratic processes of Ukraine; or (VI) involve committing serious human rights abuses against citizens of Ukraine, including forceful transfers, enforced disappearances, unjust detainment, or torture; (iv) operates or has operated in the energy, commodities, telecommunications, banking, industrial, transportation, or manufacturing sectors of the economy of the Russian Federation; (v) is an oligarch (as defined and identified by the President); (vi) is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, for or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation-- (I) transnational corruption, bribery, extortion, or money laundering; (II) assassination, murder, or other unlawful killing of, or infliction of other bodily harm against, a United States person or a citizen or national of an ally or partner of the United States; (III) activities that undermine the peace, security, political stability, or territorial integrity of the United States or an ally or partner of the United States; or (IV) deceptive or structured transactions or dealings to circumvent the application of any sanctions imposed by the United States, including through the use of digital currencies or assets or the use of physical assets. (C) Any person or agent of any person described in subparagraph (A) or (B) if the sanctioned person transferred property or an interest in property to the person-- (i) after the date on which the President imposed sanctions with respect to the sanctioned person; or (ii) before that date, if the sanctioned person did so in an attempt to evade the imposition of sanctions. (D) The following financial institutions: (i) The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia). (ii) Sberbank. (iii) VTB Bank. (iv) Gazprombank. (v) Any other financial institution organized under the laws of the Russian Federation and owned in whole or part by the Government of the Russian Federation. (vi) Any subsidiary of, or successor entity to, any of the financial institutions described in clauses (i) through (v). (vii) Any financial institution that engages in transactions with any of the financial institutions described in clauses (i) through (vi). (E) Any director of, officer of, official of, or shareholder with an interest in, a financial institution described in subparagraph (D). (d) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this subsection to be imposed with respect to a person described in subsection (b) are the following: (1) Blocking of property.-- (A) In general.--The President shall exercise all of the powers granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of the 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) Inapplicabilit