Senate Advances Russia and Iran Sanctions Bill in Honor of Late Sen. Graham

The Senate advanced a bipartisan sanctions bill in a procedural vote on July 28, targeting Russia and Iran in honor of late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

The procedural measure on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 passed in an 86-to-12 vote on Tuesday evening, setting up a vote on the final passage of the bill as early as this week.

The legislation, which was championed by Graham, is intended to prevent Russia from using its oil and gas sales to fund its war with Ukraine and to restrict funding for Iran.

The July 28 vote came hours after Graham was laid in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and a funeral service was held for him in the Washington National Cathedral.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Darline Graham (R-S.C.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss) released a joint statement on Tuesday before the Senate vote, saying that the bill would impose sanctions on the top purchasers of Russian oil and gas and would extend sanctions on Iran.

“We are proud to announce an agreement on legislation to stop purchasers of Russian oil and gas from fueling Putin’s war machine and to continue restricting the Iranian regime’s ability to support terrorism and build its nuclear program,” they wrote. 

“There is no greater way to honor Senator Graham’s legacy than to move forward with this bipartisan agreement, and we look forward to today’s vote.”

Lindsey Graham introduced the original version of the sanctions bill in April 2025; however, it never advanced beyond the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

A revised version of the bill was introduced earlier this month after Graham died on July 11.

The revised bill would allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on imported goods from the top five importers of Russian oil and gas, as well as the top five countries that help Russia evade energy sanctions.

Sanctions would also be imposed on Russian political officials, financial institutions, and entities owned or controlled by the government.

The sanctions would include up to 500 percent tariffs on goods imported from Russia and up to 100 percent tariffs on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas.

The legislation honoring Graham was further revised in the past week to include an extension of sanctions on Iran.

The Iranian sanctions, which were originally set to expire this year, would be extended through 2031 and restrict funding for Tehran’s weapons and energy sectors if the bill is passed.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) announced on July 23 that Iran was being added to the sanctions bill.

Iran’s inclusion came after Trump urged lawmakers to include sanctions against the regime in the legislation.

“The bill includes the results of months of exhaustive negotiation between federal agencies, the White House, Senator Graham, Senator Britt, Senator Shaheen, Senator Blumenthal, and many others in the hopes of crafting a package that reflects bipartisan national security and foreign policy objectives,” a White House official told The Epoch Times on July 28.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) previously confirmed that the Russia and Iran sanctions bill had more than 60 cosponsors, giving the legislation enough votes to bypass the Senate filibuster.

Just one day before his death, Graham released a joint statement with Blumenthal, Shaheen, and Wicker, confirming an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward with the sanctions bill.

“We are very pleased with this significant progress and expect to roll out the legislation very soon,” the senators said.

“As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine.”

During Graham’s funeral service in Washington on July 28, Trump called the former senator a “true American original” and described him as “a beloved friend, a devoted brother, a respected statesman, [and] a giant of the United States Senate.”

Graham’s funeral was attended by world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Zelenskyy discussed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine during a meeting with Trump before the funeral service.

In a social media statement after the meeting, Zelenskyy wrote, “Thank you for everything we are doing together to protect the lives of Ukrainians and achieve peace.”