Biden receives Congress's approval for a ban on Russian oil and gas imports.

• Congress voted to ban imports of oil, gas and coal from Russia.
• The bill, set to reach President Biden's desk, aims to enact a measure Biden implemented last month, prohibiting Russian energy imports as a response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
• The vote was in favor of a separate bill to revoke permanent normal trade relations with Russia.

The U.S. government-wide effort to economically isolate and penalize Russia for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine was furthered on Thursday with the passing of a bill banning imports of oil and gas from Russia in Congress.

Earlier Thursday, the Senate passed the legislation with a unanimous 100-0 vote. Following suit, the House approved it in a 413-9 vote. Now, it's on President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.

Nearly a month after Biden signed an executive order prohibiting the importation of oil, gas, coal, and other energy products from Russia, the bill has been passed, enforcing the same measures.

The bill, which was passed after being delayed in the Senate for weeks, enacts Biden's order into law, making it harder for a future president to reverse it.

Immediately following the bill's overwhelming approval to revoke Russia's permanent normal trade relations with the United States, commonly known as "most favored nation" status, an oil import ban was passed. Additionally, the legislation would end the normal trade relationship with Belarus, a crucial Russian ally.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., stated that this package aims to apply all economic sanctions on Vladimir Putin and his oligarch allies.

He stated that Russia, under Putin's leadership, does not deserve to remain a part of the economic order that has been in existence since the conclusion of World War II.