The United States Senate passed a sweeping sanctions bill targeting Russia and its petroleum buyers on Friday, delivering a bipartisan victory that honors the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The measure, now named the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, cleared the chamber with an 86-11 vote, reflecting rare cross-party unity on Ukraine policy ahead of the midterm elections.
Key provisions of the sanctions bill
The legislation imposes new sanctions and visa bans on Russian President Vladimir Putin and top military commanders, alongside tariffs of up to 500% on Russian exports. It also grants President Donald Trump authority to levy tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the top five importers of Russian oil and gas, a move aimed at pressuring countries that continue to fund Moscow's war effort.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, championed the bill in his final days, working tirelessly to advance it before his sudden death last month at age 71 following a trip to Kyiv. The bill's passage marks a culmination of months of negotiations between the White House and Senate leadership, which were revitalized after Graham's passing.
“This bill forces those primary countries keeping Russia's economy afloat to make a simple yet critical choice – a choice between doing business with America or buying cheap Russian energy,” said Darline Graham, Graham's sister, who was appointed to his seat after his death. She presided over the Senate and announced the bill's passage, adding, “This legislation tells Russia's customers that the United States of America will not sit by while they fund Putin's assault.”
Bipartisan support and opposition
The vote saw only one Republican, Rand Paul of Kentucky, oppose the measure, joined by 10 Democrats. Critics, including Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, argued that the bill grants President Trump excessive tariff authority, which could be weaponized in his trade policies. An amendment proposed by Wyden and Paul to strip some tariff powers was rejected 32-64.
“This bill gives him so much discretion that Trump can ultimately decide what countries to tariff, or what countries to exempt. And he can modify tariffs at his will,” Wyden said. “Trump can pick and choose even more countries to tariff every 180 days, but there is no mechanism in this bill for Congress to roll back these tariffs. If Congress passes this bill, members will be condoning the tariff chaos of the last year and a half – and inviting more.”
Following the vote, Democratic Representatives Gregory Meeks and Don Beyer echoed these concerns, warning that the bill contains “sweeping new tariff authorities that the president could weaponize with abandon, as he has repeatedly done in the past.” They noted Trump's recent imposition of 50% tariffs on Canadian goods and argued that the bill would allow Trump to dodge accountability and burden American consumers.
Next steps and political implications
The bill now heads to the House of Representatives, which is expected to consider it after returning from recess at the end of August. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged President Trump to use the sanctions to “hit Putin where it hurts,” stating, “By imposing steep sanctions that will further drain the Kremlin's war chest, Congress is delivering an important reminder to Putin and his allies that this is a losing war and authoritarianism will never go unchallenged.”
The passage marks a significant legislative achievement in an otherwise polarized environment, with Democrats hoping to leverage voter sentiment against Trump in the upcoming midterms. The bill's momentum was notably propelled by Graham's funeral, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy watched from the chamber as the Senate took its first procedural step.
