Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act heads to Trump after House passage
WASHINGTON (TNND) — The U.S. House passed a Russia sanctions bill in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who introduced the bill over a year ago, on Wednesday afternoon. The bill’s next destination is President Donald Trump’s desk.
The bill, titled the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” aims to target Russia’s economy, intending to penalize the country as it continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Once signed, the legislation would allow President Trump to impose tariffs up to 100% on countries that are within the top five purchasers of Russian crude oil or gas. This would include countries such as China and India.
Money from the oil sales is critical to funding Russia’s war effort and puts significant pressure on the country. The bill would also put sanctions on Russian leaders, officials and financial institutions.
The Russia sanctions bill has received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, where the bill passed by a vote of 86-11 in August.
While most seem to be in favor of the bill, some opponents of the bill argue that it would give the president too much authority over tariffs.
Reps. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Don Beyer, D-Va., and Richard Neal, D-Ma., said in a joint statement last week that while House Democrats staunchly support Ukraine, this bill would “do more harm than good.”
“This bill would dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities while failing to mandate sanctions on Russia, both of which are unacceptable. These flaws would raise Americans’ prices while undermining support for Ukraine in the long term,” the lawmakers wrote.
Beyer predicted that Ukraine supporters would come to regret voting for the bill
“Yes they will be able to say ‘we stood with Ukraine,’ in the immediate aftermath,” Beyer said. “But when Donald Trump hits our allies with new tariffs and waives sanctions on Russia, the propaganda victory for Putin will be lasting, and the damage will be embedded in U.S. law.”
Presuming the measure clears the House, Trump intends to sign the bill into law, a White House official confirmed.
This legislation represents the most ambitious effort to support Ukraine since Trump’s return to the White House and will break the nearly two years of relative gridlock on the Russia-Ukraine war following an emergency aid package issued in 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing for the bill’s passage, even making a direct appeal to senators shortly before they passed it last month.