Senate advances Lindsey Grahams long-stalled Russia sanctions bill just hours after his funeral
The Senate advanced a long-stalled Russia sanctions bill Tuesday that was championed by the late Sen.Lindsey Graham just hours after his funeral service in Washington. In an 86-12 vote, the Lindsey O.
Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 – named in honor of the South Carolina Republican – cleared a procedural hurdle in the upper chamber in bipartisan fashion. “Today, many of us attended his service at the National Cathedral, and in typical Lindsey fashion, he somehow orchestrated a vote on Ukraine’s future,” Sen.Katie Britt (R-Ala.) said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote. “Even though Lindsey is not physically with us today, his presence can certainly be felt in this chamber,” she continued.The legislation targets Russian oil and gas exports that have been fueling Vladimir Putin’s long and bloody war against Ukraine and extends existing sanctions against Iran’s energy and weapons sectors. “This bill says to Vladimir Putin, your days of war are numbered,” Sen.
Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said.“You are on the losing side.
Better to come to the table now than sacrifice more lives, waste more money, crater your economy, destroy your standing in the world.“America stands with Ukraine.”In a joint statement, a bipartisan group of senators, including Blumenthal, Britt and the late senator’s sister, Darline Graham (R-SC), said: “There is no greater way to honor Senator Graham’s legacy than to move forward with this bipartisan agreement.”The legislation would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, including Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, Russian banks and financial institutions, and the Russian Shadow Fleet.The legislation also allows President Trump to impose targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy Russian oil or gas, or enable Russia to evade sanctions. The bill limits the president’s tari...