House Debates Russia Sanctions Bill Targeting India, China — SkimNews
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- The US House completed debate on the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which would let President Trump sanction Russia and impose steep tariffs on major buyers of its oil and gas, including India and China
- The bill passed the Senate 86-11 last month and cleared a House procedural hurdle Tuesday by 214-211, with two Democrats backing Republicans
- Senator Lindsey Graham, who piloted the legislation, died on July 11, days after giving Trump his approval to move the bill forward in July
- Republican Michael McCaul said the bill would target Russia's leadership, energy sector, and "shadow fleet" vessels, with tariffs imposed only on the top five importers of Russian oil and removed if a country falls off the list
- The bill also bundles in additional sanctions on Iran alongside the Russia provisions—an angle most coverage, focused on India and China, overlooks
- Democratic Gregory Meeks opposed the measure, calling it excessive tariff power for the "Tariff Man"; his amendments to strip the secondary sanctions authority, limit the bill to 11 countries including China, India, and Turkiye, and send $15 billion in munitions to Ukraine were all defeated
Why it matters: The bill would tariff India and China specifically if they remain among the top five importers of Russian oil, forcing a choice between cheap Russian energy and new US trade barriers. McCaul called the mechanism a "race to the bottom" incentivizing countries to drop Russian oil, while Meeks countered it gives the president excessive tariff power without delivering munitions Ukraine needs.
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