WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Wednesday she hopes and encourages the U.S. Congress to ban uranium supplies from Russia.

The U.S. House has passed legislation to ban imports of the fuel for nuclear power plants in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Similar legislation has been held up in the Senate by a hold by Republican Senator Ted Cruz, over an unrelated matter.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner)