The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill on Friday by a vote of 86 to 11. The legislation, which was championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) prior to his death in July, aims to pressure the Russian economy and halt the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The legislation comes in response to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Before his death at age 71, Graham had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reached an agreement with the White House to support the measure. Following his passing, Senate colleagues announced they would name the bill in his honor. Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC), who was appointed to serve the remainder of her brother's term, spoke in support of the bill on the Senate floor.
Mechanically, the bill targets Russia's energy-funded war effort by sanctioning top Russian leaders and imposing penalties on nations that purchase Russian oil and natural gas. The legislation grants the president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major energy importers, specifically naming China and India. The bill also includes provisions to extend existing sanctions against Iran.
The scale of the impact involves billions of dollars in energy revenue that currently funds the Russian military effort. By targeting the primary revenue stream of the Russian state, the bill seeks to diminish the financial resources available for the war in Ukraine, which has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths since 2022. The implementation of these tariffs is at the discretion of the president, meaning the specific timing and severity of the economic impact will depend on executive branch actions once the bill becomes law.
What happens next depends on the House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has signaled support. However, the vote margin may be narrow; some House Democrats have expressed opposition to the bill, citing concerns over granting the president broad new tariff authorities. If passed by the House, the bill would go to the president's desk for signature. The specific effective dates for the new tariffs and Iran sanction extensions are not yet reported.