US House Passes Russia Sanctions Bill With 100% Tariff Powers
The US House of Representatives passed a sweeping bipartisan sanctions and tariff package on Wednesday, giving President Donald Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian energy.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 passed by 262 votes to 159 and now heads to Trump’s desk. The Senate approved the measure 86-11 in August.
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The legislation is aimed at cutting the financial and logistical networks that help Moscow sustain its war against Ukraine, targeting Russia’s energy sector, defense suppliers, major financial institutions and sanctions-evasion networks.
It also authorizes sanctions against individuals involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children.
Pressure on Russian energy revenues
At the center of the bill is a secondary-tariff mechanism aimed at countries continuing to buy Russian oil and gas.
President Trump would be able to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing large volumes of Russian energy or helping Moscow evade sanctions. Major buyers such as China and India could be affected, depending on how the measures are implemented.
Supporters say the goal is to reduce the flow of energy revenue that continues to finance Russia’s war.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who worked on the legislation with Graham, described the measures as “scorching sanctions” intended to “throttle Putin’s war machine.”
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Banks, shadow fleet and military suppliers
The package also targets Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers used to move crude despite Western restrictions.
It would sanction foreign suppliers supporting Russia’s defense sector, networks helping Moscow circumvent existing measures, and Russian officials and military figures.
New US investment in Russia would also face restrictions, along with exports that could support the Russian military.
Graham’s final sanctions push
The bill is named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Washington’s most prominent supporters of Ukraine and a key architect of the sanctions push.
Graham spent more than a year building support for the legislation before his death in July.
The bill’s passage marks one of Congress’s most consequential recent moves to increase economic pressure on Moscow as Ukraine continues to resist Russia’s full-scale invasion.