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Senate Democratic aides said that some senators were pressured not to support the bipartisan legislation that would ban oil and gas imports from Russia.

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The quiet lobbying campaign shows that the White House is intent on preserving President Biden's authority to decide what costs to impose on Russia for invading Ukraine.

  • His advisers are frustrated with congressional efforts to box him in.

  • On Friday, the White House said it was open to reducing the import of Russian oil.

Biden is concerned that a ban could lead to higher prices at the pump in parts of the U.S.

  • It could cause oil prices to go up around the globe. Most of Russia's oil products are sent to Europe and Asia.

Russian oil accounted for 3% of U.S. crude imports in 2011.

  • It is mostly imported in Hawaii and the coasts, where there is no access to the big domestic oil fields.

  • Economists and energy analysts don't agree on how much of a price spike an import ban would generate.

Cecilia Rouse, chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, told reporters on Friday that they are looking at options if the U.S. were to cut its consumption of Russian energy.

  • The White House initially dismissed the congressional effort to impose an embargo on Russian oil for the U.S.

  • The lobbying effort earlier in the week appeared to have mixed results. The legislation has 20 co-sponsors.

  • Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Thursday that she was all for banning it.

  • The administration was in talks with the oil and gas industry about the effect a ban would have on prices.

The White House wouldn't comment.

The White House's response to the Manchin-Murkowski effort looks similar to its requests last week for lawmakers to reduce demands to expel Russia from the SWIFT financial system, according to Senate aides.

Michael McFaul, who was the U.S. ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama, said Friday that he expects the practice of imports of Russian oil to change soon.

  • The United States shouldn't be buying Russian oil. During an online panel discussion about the Russian invasion of Ukraine moderated by Jonathan Swan, the president of the United States said, " Period."

  • I understand inflation. I am aware of the arguments. There is no ethical or moral reason for us to be doing that.

Many U.S. refiners have stopped purchasing oil from Russia because they are concerned about how to pay for it if many Russian entities are under banking sanctions.

  • In the last week of February, the U.S. imports dropped to zero according to preliminary data from the Energy Information Agency.

  • According to the Wall Street Journal, Shell, which is based in the United Kingdom, bought Russian crude at a steep discount on Friday.

  • The US gas prices are running at the same level as they were a year ago, due to an economic resurgence and tight global supplies.

The White House has always wanted to keep sanctions in its back pocket so that they wouldn't hurt American consumers.

  • With international and domestic opinion against Russia, Biden may be pressed to impose sanctions early.

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