Senate advances sweeping sanctions bill targeting Putin’s Russia and Iran in Graham’s honor

Lawmakers in the upper chamber advanced legislation Wednesday to impose sweeping economic penalties on Russia, Iran, and allied nations, marking significant progress on a package that the late Sen. Lindsey Graham championed before his death. The bipartisan vote represented another stride forward for the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, though final passage remains pending.

Senate leadership expects to complete work on the sanctions measure within the coming week, after which the legislation will await consideration by the House upon its return from summer recess. Supporters of the bill view passage as a fitting tribute to Graham’s 32-year Senate career, with one Republican colleague calling it potentially his “greatest legislative achievement.”

The legislation would authorize tariffs of up to 500 percent on Russian imports and up to 100 percent on nations purchasing Russian energy supplies, including China and India. The package grants President Donald Trump discretion over implementation timing for various sanctions provisions, a compromise that some Democrats have flagged as potentially problematic given his tariff approach during his second term.

Senate Democrats acknowledged concerns about granting Trump tariff authority but argued the bill’s narrow focus on punishing Putin’s aggression justified the compromise. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire stated Congress was “explicitly directing these tariffs for one unambiguous purpose: to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin and end his unprovoked war against Ukraine.”

The measure also reincorporates sanctions targeting Iran’s weapons and energy sectors, aiming to support diplomatic efforts as Middle Eastern conflict intensifies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a close Graham ally, engaged with skeptical lawmakers to secure support for the package.