Houston Daily

Congressman Wesley Hunt has introduced the PARL Act, a bill aimed at shielding U.S. businesses from legal action by foreign countries such as Russia when they comply with U.S. sanctions and export controls. The legislation is intended to close a gap in current U.S. law that leaves American companies vulnerable to lawsuits for following federal regulations.

According to Hunt, “Russia's use of this Title 28 loophole to impose fines on American companies and workers is abhorrent,” adding, “Let us recall that sanctions against Russia were only instituted after they made the deliberate decision to invade Ukraine. Protecting America and our business interests should be a top priority for Congress, and I'm profoundly grateful for the bipartisan support this legislation has garnered.”

A member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet stated: “Four years into Putin’s unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine, Russia and other foreign entities are still able to sue U.S. companies for abiding by U.S. sanctions,” continuing, “It’s time for Congress to close this loophole and join the European Union and the United Kingdom in protecting sanctions against Russia and the companies that comply with them.”

Wesley Hunt has served as representative for Texas’s 38th District since 2023. In 2024, he won reelection by defeating Melissa McDonough with nearly 63 percent of the vote; previously in 2022 he defeated Duncan Klussmann with a similar margin.

Hunt was born in Houston in 1981 and continues to reside there.