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Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita joined lawmakers in pushing for stronger economic sanctions on Russia, as well as the removal of the Russian Federation from the United Nations Security Council. 

Garcia’s actions come after previously stating that President Joe Biden’s initial sanctions on Russia were “weak and inadequate.”

In a letter to President Biden, Garcia and sixteen other lawmakers called on the Biden administration to enact another wave of sanctions on Russia that would stop all Russian banks, financial institutions, and oligarchs from accessing SWIFT, an international financial system relied on globally to conduct transactions. 

“We need strong secondary sanctions on all Russian banks, and we need the complete removal of all Russian banks from SWIFT. We cannot afford half-measured sanctions and we urge you to pursue these actions to the fullest extent possible,” read the letter.

Garcia and the lawmakers also called on President Biden to enact additional sanctions on Russia’s mineral sector, timber sector, and plastics and polymer sector. 

Garcia also co-sponsored a resolution to remove the Russian Federation from its seat as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The resolution argues that while the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was named a permanent member, when the USSR dissolved, the General Assembly never held a vote to recognize the Russian Federation’s “inheritance” of the USSR’s seat. 

“If the UN Security Council is truly committed to ‘ensuring international peace and security,’ then I believe they should take immediate action and remove the Russian Federation from The Council. We must hold Russia accountable,” Garcia said. 

Click here to read the letter to President Biden.

Click here to read the resolution.