The House just gave President Trump the power to slap 100% tariffs on any country still buying Russian oil, sending a sweeping sanctions bill to his desk for a signature.
Quick Take
- The House passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by a 262-159 vote.
- The bill now heads to President Trump, who is expected to sign it.
- It lets Trump impose tariffs up to 100% on countries that keep buying Russian energy.
- Some Democrats and a dozen Republicans objected to giving Trump such broad tariff power.
- The bill honors the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime advocate for tough Russia penalties.
House Passes Graham-Named Sanctions Bill
The House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by a vote of 262-159. The tally included 203 Republicans, 58 Democrats, and one independent voting in favor. The bill now moves to President Trump’s desk. Lawmakers expect him to sign it, formally closing out one of the most closely watched sanctions fights in Congress this year.
Congress.gov officially lists the measure’s title as the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The bill’s summary describes broad new authority to impose sanctions, tariffs, and other restrictions tied to Russia’s war activity. Its Senate companion carries a nearly identical name and text, showing coordinated action across both chambers of Congress.
Bipartisan Support With Some Pushback
Support for the bill crossed party lines, but it wasn’t unanimous. Reporting shows some Democrats and roughly a dozen Republicans raised concerns about handing President Trump what they called “unfettered” power over tariffs. Their objections focused less on punishing Russia and more on how much economic authority the bill hands to the executive branch without regular checks from Congress.
A House press release from Representative Michael McCaul’s office confirms the House bill’s text matches the version already passed by the Senate. That matters because it means lawmakers did not need to negotiate a new compromise bill. Instead, the House simply adopted the same language senators approved earlier, speeding the measure toward the president’s desk.
New Powers Target Russia’s Oil Customers
The bill’s tariff authority is its most talked-about feature. Reuters reports it allows the president to impose tariffs as high as 100% on major buyers of Russian energy, aiming to choke off the money still flowing to Moscow through oil and gas sales. Congress.gov confirms the bill also imposes a range of other sanctions and prohibitions connected to Russia’s war effort.
Russia launched another massive attack on Ukraine with ballistic missiles, other missiles and drones – on the same night that the US House passed the Lindsey Graham sanctions bill.
Civilian infrastructure was hit across eight regions. Energy infrastructure was targeted in Sumy… pic.twitter.com/7lqmuW37ep
— UKR Consulate NY (@UKRinNewYork) September 17, 2026
This approach follows a pattern Congress has used before. Sanctions law experts note that “secondary sanctions” target outside countries and companies that keep doing business with a sanctioned nation, not just the nation itself. Named for a senator who died before seeing it become law, the bill turns years of his advocacy into one of the most far-reaching Russia sanctions measures Congress has passed.
Sources:
youtube.com, ms.now, reuters.com, apnews.com, congress.gov
