Leaders in Congress aim to ban U.S. purchase of Russian rocket engines

Congressional leaders are working to ban U.S. purchases of Russian-made rocket engines by repealing part of the omnibus 2016 Appropriations bill.

U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) are introducing complementary legislation seeking repeal of a provision in the
appropriations bill that allows for the unlimited purchase and use of rocket engines  produced by a Russian company tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian-made RD-180 engines are scheduled for use in U.S. national security starting in 2019.

McCain said buying equipment from the Russians props up that nation’s militaristic aggression around the globe. 

“It is morally outrageous and strategically foolish to ask American taxpayers to subsidize Russia’s military industrial base when Vladimir Putin occupies Crimea and destabilizes Ukraine, menaces our NATO allies in Europe, violates the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, sends weapons to Iran and bombs U.S.-backed forces in Syria to prop up the murderous regime of Bashar Assad,” McCain said. “This legislation is vital to ensuring the United States does not depend on Vladimir Putin’s regime for assured access to space.”