Biden sending Congress proposals to further crack down on Russian oligarchs over war in Ukraine

President Biden on Thursday is sending Congress proposals for new legislation allowing the U.S. to further crack down on Russian oligarchs as punishment for Moscow’s bloody invasion of Ukraine, the White House has announced. 

The proposed measures, which the White House says were drafted in close coordination with the Treasury, Justice, State and Commerce Departments, will "enhance the United States Government’s authority to hold the Russian government and Russian oligarchs accountable for President Putin’s war against Ukraine." 

"This package of proposals will establish new authorities for the forfeiture of property linked to Russian kleptocracy, allow the government to use the proceeds to support Ukraine, and further strengthen related law enforcement tools," the White House added in a statement. 

President Biden speaks during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Wednesday, April 27.

Among the tools, the White House says, would be "establishing a streamlined administrative authority to seize and forfeit oligarch assets," "enabling the transfer of the proceeds of forfeited kleptocrat property to Ukraine to remediate harms of Russian aggression" and clamping down on sanctions evasion.