WASHINGTON -- A sweeping Russia sanctions bill championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham cleared a key procedural hurdle in the US House of Representatives on September 15, setting up a final vote on legislation that supporters say would increase pressure on Moscow and strengthen US support for Ukraine.
The House voted 214-211 to approve a rule allowing consideration of Senate amendments to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, with two Democrats joining Republicans voting in favor. Many Democrats oppose the bill because it would give President Donald Trump additional power to impose tariffs.
The vote cleared the way for the House to consider the version approved by the Senate with strong bipartisan support in August, and a final vote in the 435-seat chamber is expected on September 16. If it approves the Senate text without changes, the bill would go to Trump.
"We're going to get done tomorrow," Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska told RFE/RL, expressing confidence that the House would pass the bill. "At least that's the least we could do. We've got to do more."
The legislation would impose sanctions on Russian officials and military figures, foreign suppliers supporting Russia's defense sector, and networks helping Moscow evade existing sanctions.
It would also target Russia's so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers, restrict new US investment in Russia and exports that could support the Russian military, and authorize sanctions against people responsible for abducting Ukrainian children. The measure also extends sanctions on Iran.
SEE ALSO:
US House Set To Take Up Russia Sanctions Bill Amid Fight Over Trump Tariff PowersIn addition, it would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries purchasing Russian energy or helping Moscow evade sanctions.
The tariff provisions have drawn opposition from mostly Democratic lawmakers concerned about granting additional trade authority to Trump and about potential effects on US fuel prices.
The Senate rejected an effort to remove the provisions before passing the legislation.
'Scorching Sanctions'
Republican Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, who is managing the legislation on the House floor, portrayed its expected passage as part of Graham's legacy.
"One of the proudest accomplishments I think I've had is the bill we're going to pass tomorrow that Lindsey Graham said, in his words, if I'm not mistaken, the biggest legislative accomplishment of his career," McCaul said at an event at Ukraine House in Washington marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's restored independence.
Graham, a South Carolina Republican and prominent supporter of Ukraine, died in July.
Late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (right) and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal speak to reporters while on a visit to Kyiv earlier this year.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who worked with Graham on the legislation, said at the same event that the measure would impose "scorching sanctions" intended to "throttle Putin's war machine."
Divisions over the tariff provisions have complicated the bill's path through the House.
Republican Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee said he had received assurances that Republican leaders would consider measures aimed at reducing fuel costs.
'A Symbolic Win For Ukraine'
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a supporter of the legislation, has urged the House to approve it, saying it would target financial resources sustaining Russia's war and increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate.
The sanctions push comes as Ukraine continues to seek US military and economic support more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Andrew D'Anieri, associate director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, told RFE/RL that enactment of the bill would be "a symbolic win for Ukraine," but said Kyiv also needed continued military assistance, particularly air defenses.
At the Ukraine House event, US Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs Jonathan Greenstein said Washington remained committed to "achieving a negotiated settlement and a durable peace" while supporting an "independent and prosperous future for Ukraine."
Greenstein said the United States had disbursed $7.5 billion to Ukraine in 2026 and expected to provide nearly $300 million more in the coming months.