House passes Russia sanctions with tariff twist

The House voted 262 to 159 to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, with 53 Democrats joining 203 Republicans. The bill gives Trump broad tariff authority over countries supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

Bill named after late Ukraine champion

The legislation honors Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in July and was one of Congress's strongest advocates for Ukraine. Graham had championed tougher action against Russia for years.

Democrats split over tariff authority

Key Democrats like Rep. Richard Neal opposed handing Trump tariff power, warning there's no guarantee he won't use it against Ukraine. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the bill has loopholes that could prevent sanctions from working.

“There is no guarantee in this legislation that the president could not use these tariffs against Ukraine if he decided to do so.”

Tariffs work where sanctions fail

Rep. Michael McCaul argued that tariffs are more effective than traditional sanctions because countries can evade the latter but cannot dodge tariffs. The bill allows up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports and 100% on top energy buyers.

“You can evade sanctions, which the Russians have done for years. But you cannot evade tariffs.”

Senate Democrats largely backed the deal

While House Democrats resisted, their Senate counterparts largely supported the bill. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who helped craft it, defended the tariff language, saying courts would restrain Trump if he broke the law.

“If Donald Trump wants to break this law, he will be restrained by the courts, just as when he broke the law on tariffs previously.”

Two Democrats break ranks to save bill

Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington defied party leadership to vote with Republicans, rescuing the bill from dying on the House floor. Golden's office said he didn't want Ukraine support to fail.

Bill targets Putin's war machine

The legislation sanctions Russian officials, oligarchs, banks, and the shadow fleet moving cheap Russian energy. It also punishes countries providing financial support for the war in Ukraine, which Zelenskyy's team identified as critical to degrading Russia's ability to fight.

Iran sanctions added for Middle East peace

The bill was tweaked to include sanctions on Iran's weapons and energy sectors to incentivize a lasting peace deal as the Middle East conflict continues. The White House required changes before backing the legislation.

Bill heads to Trump's desk

The legislation now goes to President Trump for his signature. It represents a significant victory for Trump's tariff agenda, even as Democrats reluctantly accepted the expanded authority to punish Russia's war in Ukraine.