US House to Vote on Russia Sanctions Bill Next Week

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on a bill championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that would impose new sanctions on Russia.

The House Rules Committee scheduled a Sept. 14 meeting to consider the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” according to an announcement posted on the committee’s website.

The Senate passed the bill in an 86-11 vote on Aug. 7, nearly a month after Graham’s death. The bill was revised and renamed in his honor on July 14.

Graham’s earlier legislation focused entirely on sanctioning Russia, while the revised bill included provisions to apply further economic pressure on Iran. President Donald Trump requested those changes as the armed standoff between the United States and Iran continues.

If enacted, the bill would impose sanctions on the top five countries that purchase oil and gas from Russia. The legislation seeks to prevent Russia from using oil and gas sales to fund its war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr voiced his support for the bill in a Sept. 11 post on X, saying that stronger sanctions are needed to deprive Russia of its ability to finance its war.

“The bill must be passed, voted on, and supported. Beyond that, strong decisions from the U.S. Administration are important. Personal decisions by President Trump. I very much hope we will see that,” he said.

For more than a year, Graham led a bipartisan effort to advance the Russia-related sanctions while negotiating with the White House over the bill’s wording. He died on July 11 of a sudden illness after returning from Ukraine.

Unveiling the revised bill on July 14, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said, “It is truly a tribute to Senator Graham that we are at this point.”

Democratic Reps. Gregory Meeks, Don Beyer, and Richard Neal said House Democrats are “rock solid” in their support for Ukraine but opposed the bill, noting that it would further expand Trump’s tariff authorities. They called for legislation that could win support in both chambers and deliver on U.S. commitment to Ukraine.

“This bill would dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities while failing to mandate sanctions on Russia, both of which are unacceptable. These flaws would raise Americans’ prices while undermining support for Ukraine in the long term,” they said in a Sept. 11 statement.

“In the meantime, the president has ample authority to expand sanctions on those fueling Russia’s war machine, including those targeted by this bill, and we renew our call on him to do so without further delay.”

Commenting on the bill on Sept. 11, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said his nation “strongly supports” further sanctions against Russia.

“We commend the U.S. Congress for their efforts and hope to see the Russian sanctions bill pass into law,” Tsahkna said in a post on X.

Ryan Morgan and Timothy Frudd contributed to this report.