Rep. Don Bacon warned that President Donald Trump's spending priorities could face resistance in Congress as lawmakers press the administration over U.S. military support for Ukraine and Russian diesel trade.
In an Oct. 19 CNN interview, Bacon said, “I think the president's leverage in this Congress is shot.” He questioned funding for a proposed victory arch and White House ballroom. Bacon also sought answers about problems involving intelligence, Starshield and Patriot support that he said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had described to lawmakers. No funding cut has been enacted.
Trump announced a plan Oct. 9 for Russia to supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately and another 500,000 tons in November. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 135 that day, permitting specified Russian-origin diesel transactions under its sanctions rules, including U.S. imports, through 12:01 a.m. ET on April 7, 2027. The announcement and license do not document shipments.
Senators from both parties urged Trump in an Oct. 13 letter to abandon the arrangement, revoke the license and use a new Russia sanctions law. They argued that diesel sales would bring Russia revenue while offering little relief from U.S. fuel prices.
A separate group of seven senators argued in an Oct. 11 statement that U.S. imports of Russian diesel conflict with the 2022 Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act. The law bans covered Russian energy imports and sets conditions for ending the ban. The senators' legal objection remains unresolved.
On Oct. 16, Trump signed an order waiving specified sanctions, restrictions and duties under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The waivers have no fixed end date. The president or secretary of state may determine, after specified consultations, whether further action is warranted. The order preserves a specified set of measures imposed under earlier executive orders.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the diesel policy in an Oct. 18 CNN interview, saying potential exports could benefit consumers and give Russia “an incentive to end the war.” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas researchers estimated that 6 million to 8 million barrels a day of refining capacity had been curtailed since late spring, up to 10% of global capacity. They cited refinery damage and shipping constraints among the pressures on fuel supplies.
Ukraine's presidential office said Oct. 20 that advance warnings of Russian ballistic missile attacks were working. It separately reported a call between Zelenskyy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said Starlink/Starshield issues still needed attention. The office said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to travel to Russia on Oct. 21 with proposals discussed in Oslo.
