U.S. Senate passes Russia sanctions bill championed by Lindsey Graham
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- Senate passed the 'Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026' by 86-11, with only Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voting against among Republicans, after over a year of GOP leadership withholding the bill at Mr. Trump's request.
- The legislation sanctions Russian officials, authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on countries that are major consumers of Russian energy — including India, Japan and some EU nations — and adds expanded Iran sanctions the President requested.
- Mr. Graham, who died July 11, announced shortly before his death that he and Mr. Trump had agreed to move forward; his sister Darline Graham, appointed to fill his South Carolina seat, read out the final tally to applause.
- The Senate rejected a Paul-Wyden amendment to strip the tariff authorities, with Paul arguing 'increasing taxes on Americans will not end Putin's war in Ukraine' before the 86-11 passage.
- House Democrats Gregory Meeks and Don Beyer warned the bill hands Mr. Trump tariff powers he could 'weaponize with abandon,' citing his 'America First' approach as evidence of risk to importers and consumers.
- Tariff authority is scoped to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas and the top five countries aiding Russia's sanctions evasion; the bill also includes a provision preventing a lapse in sanctions on Iranian energy and weapons funding.
- President Zelensky, in Washington for Mr. Graham's funeral, watched an early procedural vote and called the legislation 'big support' that would hit Russia's ability to finance the war while sending 'a big signal to Europe.'
Why it matters: The bill hands Mr. Trump the very tariff weapon he personally championed — up to 100% duties on Indian, Japanese and EU energy purchases — yet House Republicans hold only a slim majority and Democrats cite 'fundamental concerns' about consumer costs. With India and Japan explicitly in the tariff crosshairs, passage would inject a new trade-war vector into an already strained sanctions regime against Moscow.
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