Tillis is not alone. A bipartisan group of six senators — four Republicans and two Democrats — released a joint statement Sunday calling on the administration to "immediately reverse course." They said the White House failed to consult with Congress or submit the required statutory justification for the decision. In the House, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick introduced legislation Saturday to block Russian oil purchases, with Representative Don Bacon co-sponsoring.
The administration's defense came from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told Fox News on Sunday: "We're going to do it with all the legal authorities we have. So, you know, anyone in Congress who says whether it's an old bill or the current Lindsey Graham bill (that) prohibits us from doing it is wrong."
Market reaction was immediate but measured. Diesel futures fell roughly 4% on Friday after the announcement, though the national pump average held near $6.28 per gallon. Analysts have questioned whether the announced volumes — totaling 4.8 million tons, or roughly 29 hours of global diesel demand — can meaningfully ease a market that the International Energy Agency estimates is short about 3 million barrels per day, especially given Russian refinery output running nearly 30% below normal. U.S. distillate stocks are at their lowest early-October level in Energy Information Administration records, with East Coast inventories 29.8% below the five-year average.