Rep. John W. Mannion announced Tuesday, Oct. 27, that he is cosponsoring a bipartisan Mannion Russian diesel bill to block the Trump administration’s authorization of Russian diesel transactions and protect U.S. intelligence support for Ukraine.

The New York Democrat’s office said he is backing the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026. The measure, H.R. 10866, was introduced by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican. Its original cosponsors are Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Washington Democrat, and Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, according to the Government Publishing Office’s bill record.

The Mannion Russian diesel bill aims to enhance legislative measures against Russian diesel imports, further ensuring national security and support for global allies.

This is a legislative proposal, not a new law. Mannion’s announcement does not itself change fuel-import rules or intelligence policy.

Why Mannion says he supports the bill

In a news release sent to the Utica Phoenix, Mannion argued that the diesel arrangement would help Russian President Vladimir Putin finance the war against Ukraine. He also said it would not lower fuel costs for Americans. Those are Mannion’s stated reasons for opposing the deal, not findings established by his announcement.

“I’m joining Republicans and Democrats to stop this deal and prevent American dollars from fueling Putin’s war machine,” Mannion said.

Mannion invoked Reagan’s warning against wishful thinking about adversaries. He said support for Ukraine and other democratic allies serves American values and the security system built after World War II. He also argued that ending the war in Iran, rather than blaming Ukraine for defending itself, was the way to address diesel costs.

Fitzpatrick offered a similar argument in his Oct. 23 announcement. He said allowing Russian energy into the American market would weaken the pressure Congress sought to put on Moscow. His statement presented the proposal as a way to reinforce the existing import ban and Ukraine’s defense.

What H.R. 10866 would do

The introduced bill text has two main parts: restrictions on Russian energy transactions and requirements for intelligence support.

• It would cancel Russia-related General License 135, the Treasury authorization covering Russian diesel.
• It would bar the Office of Foreign Assets Control, known as OFAC, from issuing waivers or general licenses to import products covered by the existing Russian energy-import ban.
• It would prevent Treasury from spending funds on agreements that violate that law.
• It would prohibit future Treasury authorization of otherwise unlawful transactions needed for the sale, delivery or offloading of Russian crude oil or petroleum products.

The intelligence section would direct the director of national intelligence to ensure that relevant agencies provide Ukraine with lawful intelligence support, including information and imagery, intended or reasonably expected to help defend or retake territory from Russia. Agency heads would have to notify congressional intelligence committees within 24 hours after an interruption begins. That notification requirement is directed to Congress, not a public alert system.

The diesel authorization at the center of the dispute

Treasury’s Oct. 9 notice confirms that OFAC issued General License 135. The license itself allows certain transactions involving Russian-origin diesel that would otherwise be prohibited under two U.S. sanctions programs. It covers sales, deliveries, offloading and imports, including imports into the United States, through 12:01 a.m. Eastern daylight time on April 7, 2027.

The license does not authorize debits to U.S. bank accounts belonging to Russia’s central bank, National Wealth Fund or Ministry of Finance. It also does not, by itself, establish that the U.S. government has bought fuel, that a shipment has reached a particular port or that any local retailer has received it.

Trump presented the diesel arrangement as a response to high fuel prices, according to Associated Press reporting on his Oct. 9 announcement. That report said details about payment and availability were not immediately clear. A promise of added supply is different from a measured price change in Utica.

How the proposal relates to the 2022 import ban

The Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act became law on April 8, 2022. It bans Russian products listed in Chapter 27 of the U.S. tariff schedule, which covers energy products, in a manner consistent with implementation of the earlier presidential import order.

That law also sets conditions for ending the prohibition. It requires a presidential certification to Congress addressing a withdrawal and cease-fire agreement accepted by Ukraine, the absence of an immediate Russian military threat to NATO members and recognition of Ukrainians’ right to choose their government. It provides a 90-day period before termination takes effect and allows Congress to enact a resolution of disapproval.

The new bill would add explicit limits on Treasury’s licensing power. The sponsors’ criticism of the diesel authorization should not be confused with a court ruling on its legality.

Why the debate matters in Utica and the Mohawk Valley

Mannion represents New York’s 22nd Congressional District, which includes Utica and parts of Oneida County as well as communities across Central New York. His official district description identifies both Central New York and the Mohawk Valley as areas he serves. His position gives residents a local representative’s role to follow in a federal energy and foreign-policy debate.

Diesel also matters beyond drivers filling a personal vehicle. The Environmental Protection Agency identifies trucks, farm and construction equipment, ships and locomotives among its uses. That makes diesel policy relevant to discussions about freight and farming, without proving a particular cost impact for any Mohawk Valley business.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration explains that retail diesel prices reflect crude oil, refining, distribution and marketing costs, plus taxes. Global supply and demand, refinery problems and transportation limits can affect prices. Heating-oil demand can also put pressure on the diesel market during fall and winter.

Those factors are why neither a bill announcement nor an import authorization establishes what a local customer will pay. Mannion’s release offers no Utica-area price survey or estimate of savings under his proposal.

What happens next

The official introduced-bill record lists an Oct. 22 referral to the House Ways and Means, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees. That record identifies the original sponsors; Mannion’s new cosponsorship is reported here based on his office’s Oct. 27 announcement.

Under the House’s explanation of the legislative process, both chambers must approve the same text before a bill goes to the president. Committee review, changes to the language and floor votes are separate from a lawmaker announcing support. Readers can track H.R. 10866 on Congress.gov.