Jerry Konter, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder and developer from Savannah, Ga., issued a statement supporting legislation that would ban timber imports from Russia and Belarus. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.).

“Rep. Westerman’s ‘No Timber from Tyrants Act’ is a moral and economic imperative that needs to be enacted immediately. Banning imports of Russian and Belarusian wood products will help to further economically isolate Russia and deny President Putin another source of funding for his unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, the legislation also calls for responsibly increasing domestic lumber production from federal lands to address the resiliency of our national forests, create jobs, reinvigorate the forest industry and improve housing affordability. Time is of the essence and Congress must act swiftly on this bill.”