(Reportedly) Sens. Joe Manchin and Lisa Murkowski introduced on Monday the “Ban Russian Energy Imports Act.” The act, seemingly as straightforward as its title says, has the backing of at least 16 other Democratic and Republican senators.

From Sen. Bob Menendez (chair of the Foreign Relations Committee):

(Democrat Menendez) “strongly oppose[s] any action that fills the pockets of regime oligarchs with oil profits while Maduro continues to deprive Venezuelans of basic human rights, freedoms, and even food.”

Crank Up Unconventional Oil Production

From Ben Cahill, a senior fellow in CSIS’s Energy Security and Climate Change Program—has a simple option:

• talk to domestic producers, encourage them to ramp up investment
• talk to investors
• talk to the banks and asset managers
• try to crank up unconventional production in the United States as fast as you can

That’s the most flexible, responsive source of supply in the world.

Asks Mr. Cahill, Why go to Venezuela when you can do this at home?