U.S. Senate Passes Sanctions Against Russia Proposed by the Late Lindsey Graham

The U.S. Senate has passed sanctions against Russia proposed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

This was reported by Reuters.

The bill imposes sanctions on Russian officials and sets tariff rates for countries that purchase the vast majority of Russian oil or gas and help Russia evade sanctions.

It also expands sanctions against Iran, something President Donald Trump had insisted on, as lawmakers had been pushing for a vote on this bill for over a year after it was introduced in 2025.

The Senate passed the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” by a vote of 86 to 11.

The bill will then be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives in September. Only after approval by both chambers will it be sent to the president for his signature.

“If you’re buying products from Russia and you’re not helping Ukraine, then there’s a 500 percent tariff on your products coming into the United States. India and China buy 70% of Putin’s oil. They are supporting his war machine. My bill has 84 co-sponsors. It would allow the president to put tariffs on China, India, and other countries to get them to stop supporting Putin’s war machine, to get him to the table,” — said Lindsey Graham about the bill in an interview with ABC News on June 29, 2025.

Today’s bill differs from the original draft in that the maximum tariff rate is now 100% and applies only to the top five importers of oil and gas.

Supporters of the bill insist that the scope of the tariffs is narrow enough for them to serve their purpose—reducing Russia’s energy revenues, which are funding its war against Ukraine—without negative consequences for the U.S.

Only one Republican senator, Rand Paul, voted against the bill, comparing the tariffs to taxes on American consumers.

On July 22, the U.S. Senate added H.R. 2913, the “Ukraine Support Act,” to its legislative calendar following its second reading.

The late U.S. senator stated that Ukraine was ready to assist the United States in the field of drone technology after visiting SkyFall’s production facilities on July 11.