Four Republicans, four Democrats vote against bill urging President Biden to confiscate assets of Russian oligarchs

Eight House lawmakers voted against a bill on Wednesday that urges President Biden to confiscate assets from sanctioned Russian oligarchs and use the funds to support Ukraine.

The legislation, which is largely symbolic, dubbed the Asset Seizure for Ukraine Reconstruction Act, passed in a 417-8 vote.

The non-binding Bill urges Biden Biden to seize and confiscate assets belonging to foreign individuals whose wealth was in part acquired “through corruption linked to or political support for the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin and with respect to which the President has imposed sanctions.”

The lawmakers who voted against the bill are; Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Chip Roy (R-TX).

Assets worth more than $2 million owned by Russian energy companies or foreign individuals whose wealth is tied to the Kremlin would be subject to the bill. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), one of the bill’s sponsors, said the legislation would confiscate luxury villas, yachts and planes owned by Russian oligarchs and US-sanctioned companies.

According to the bill, the United States holds, uses, administers, liquidates or sells the seized assets. The bill urges that liquidated funds be used “for the benefit of the Ukrainian people,” including post-conflict reconstruction in the country, humanitarian aid, assistance to Ukrainian security forces and support for refugees and to the settlement of refugees in the United States and other countries.

Additionally, the bill suggests liquidated funds be used for technology items and services to ensure the free flow of information to individuals in Ukraine and to combat Russian censorship.

The bill also urges the creation of an interagency task force, led by the secretary of state, to determine how the United States can seize and confiscate the assets of foreign individuals with ties to Russia. A similar bill of the same name has been introduced in the Senate.

The House’s passage of the legislation comes a day after Attorney General Merrick Garland, in a congressional hearing, said “we would support legislation that would allow some of that money to go directly to the ‘Ukraine,’ referring to the Asset Forfeiture Fund.