The House voted 262-159 on Sept. 16 to pass a sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, sending it to President Trump’s desk for a signature he’s expected to give.
Why it matters: The bill hands Trump broad new tariff leverage over the countries bankrolling Russia’s war machine while extending Iran sanctions that were about to lapse — a major economic-pressure tool built, posthumously, as a tribute to one of the Senate’s most prominent Russia hawks.
Driving the news:
The House passed the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” 262-159 on Sept. 16, with 58 Democrats defying Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to join all but seven Republicans in support.
The Senate had already passed the 61-page bill 86-11 back in August.
It now heads to Trump, who is expected to sign it into law.
It’s named for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a leading Russia-sanctions advocate who died in July 2026 at age 71.
By the numbers:
262-159 — the House vote count.
86-11 — the Senate vote count in August.
58 — House Democrats who voted for the bill despite Jeffries’ opposition.
Up to 100% — tariffs Trump must impose on goods from the top five importers of Russian oil and gas, plus the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions.
Up to 500% — tariffs the bill authorizes on goods imported directly from Russia.
2031 — the year through which the bill extends the existing Iran Sanctions Act.
What they’re saying: House Speaker Mike Johnson: “This bill sends a powerful message of American unity and gives the Administration every tool in the toolbox to help bring this war to a just end.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune called it a “great tribute” to Graham. Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith said the bipartisan support “shows that some Democrats also now recognize that President Trump’s trade agenda is working.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who backed the bill, called it “a moment of extreme urgency” that “could undercut completely” Vladimir Putin’s ability “to wage this brutal, murderous war.”
The other side: The opposition wasn’t unified around one objection. Most House Democrats who voted no, led by Jeffries, argued the bill hands Trump too much discretionary tariff power without actually mandating he use it. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) warned that discretion could cut against Ukraine’s own backers: “If this bill passes, I predict Ukraine’s supporters will regret it” if Trump instead uses the tariff authority against Kyiv’s allies. From the right, Rep. Thomas Massie broke with GOP leadership on principle, saying: “In 14 years I’ve never voted to sanction a sovereign country.”
What’s next: Once Trump signs the bill, the tariff clock starts running on the top buyers of Russian oil and gas — a list topped by China and India, the two largest purchasers of discounted Russian crude.
The bottom line: A sanctions bill built as a memorial to one of the Senate’s loudest Russia hawks cleared Congress with real bipartisan margins — but the same discretionary tariff power Republicans are calling a “tool in the toolbox” is exactly what some Democrats and libertarian-leaning Republicans fear hands Trump too much say over how, and against whom, it actually gets used.
Go deeper: Washington Examiner, RedState, Townhall, Daily Caller