Senators Reject Trump's Graham Tributes, Back Russia Bill
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- Trump suggested via Truth Social on Monday that the Senate pass the Clarity Act (crypto bill) in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, even though Graham was not considered a major crypto ally and had co-introduced a bipartisan anti-money-laundering bill in the prior Congress.
- Most senators are instead pushing a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill targeting buyers of Russian oil and gas that Graham had championed, and which had won White House support days before his death on Saturday.
- Trump separately claimed on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he had spoken to Graham about the SAVE America Act (GOP elections bill) hours before Graham died, prompting Sens. Josh Hawley and Mike Lee to redouble calls for that legislation's passage.
- Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) called the Clarity Act suggestion "too cute by half," with Cramer saying honoring Graham with the Russia sanctions bill would be "obvious" because "he practically died trying to get it passed."
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer both endorsed the Russia sanctions bill as a Graham tribute, though Thune acknowledged leaders were still "assessing" whether it had a path forward.
- Trump himself was noncommittal when asked Monday whether he would support the Russia sanctions bill, telling reporters only "We're talking about that" — a notable gap from the White House's earlier endorsement.
- Graham had recently returned from the NATO summit in Turkey and a visit to Ukraine when he died, and the Russia sanctions bill had repeatedly been put on ice as Trump tried to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Why it matters: The Russia sanctions bill targeting buyers of Russian oil and gas — Graham's signature late-career effort — has stalled repeatedly because Trump prioritized negotiating with Putin, and the bill still lacks a direct, public endorsement from the president himself. Graham's death has converted that stalled legislation into a potential memorial vehicle, but senators like Kennedy note White House staff backing "don't count" until Trump personally "bear-hugs" the measure.
