US Senate’s Russia sanctions bill heads to House vote next week

The US Senate moved fast. The House is next. A sweeping Russia sanctions bill, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, is heading to a House floor vote following a lopsided 86-11 Senate passage on August 7, 2026. The legislation would give President Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas. That list includes some of the world’s biggest economies: China, India, and Turkey chief among them. What the bill actually does The formal name is the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. Graham, who spent years pushing for tougher action against Moscow, died in July 2026, shortly after revisions to the bill were secured with the White House. Beyond the tariff mechanism, the bill expands sanctions on Russian government officials and key financial institutions. It also targets a sanctions-evading shipping fleet, the kind of gray-market operation that has helped Russian energy revenues stay surprisingly resilient despite years of Western pressure. The Iran piece is notable too. The legislation extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 for another five years, bundling two major foreign policy prioriti...