The U.S. Senate voted 86-11 to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, honoring the late South Carolina senator. The bipartisan bill targets Russia's war economy by authorizing President Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on major importers of Russian energy, including China and India. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the pressure, a bipartisan group of opposing senators warned that the broad tariff powers could trigger destructive trade wars and raise costs for American consumers.
Graham Russia sanctions bill passage
- ▪The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 will next be considered by the House of Representatives when lawmakers return from recess on August 31, 2026.
- ▪The U.S. Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on August 7, 2026, by an 86-11 vote.
Tariffs on Russian energy importers
- ▪The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.
- ▪The tariff provisions in the Senate-passed bill target major Russian energy importers, specifically naming China and India as expected primary targets.
- ▪The Senate-passed bill provides tariff exceptions for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and are actively reducing those imports.
Senate opposition to bill
- ▪Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to vote against the Russia sanctions bill, arguing that tariffs act as taxes on American consumers.
- ▪The Senate defeated an amendment by Senators Rand Paul and Ron Wyden to remove the president's new tariff authority by a vote of 32-64.
- ▪Eleven senators, including ten Democrats and one Republican, voted against the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on August 7, 2026.
Zelenskyy response to sanctions
- ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met privately with U.S. senators at the Capitol in late July 2026 to advocate for continued support and the sanctions package.
- ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly thanked the U.S. Senate and expressed gratitude, stating that strong American pressure and sanctions will help bring peace.
Bipartisan tribute to Graham
- ▪Senator Darline Graham, appointed to fill her late brother's South Carolina Senate seat, spoke on the Senate floor in support of the bill before its passage.
- ▪U.S. senators paid tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11, 2026, and named the bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation in his honor.
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