The vote was 262-159, and it came on a Wednesday night, September 16. The House of Representatives approved a sanctions bill aimed at Russia and Iran, one the late Senator Lindsey Graham had pushed for, and sent it on for Donald Trump to sign.
The timing carried weight. Graham died suddenly about two months earlier, on July 11, a day after he told reporters in Kyiv that a revised version had been agreed with the White House. The Senate cleared it first, 86-11, and its formal title is the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026”, H.R. 5334.
What it does
Sanctions come in two layers, direct and secondary, and fall on Russia and on states that help it prosecute the war in Ukraine. Targets include oligarchs and political figures, banks and other financial firms, and the shadow fleet of tankers. Export controls also tighten on anything Moscow might turn into weapons.
The president may impose tariffs reaching 100%, though only on the five biggest buyers of Russian crude or gas and on the five countries doing most to help Russia dodge energy sanctions. Another provision stops the authority that limits money for Iran’s energy and weapons industries from lapsing.
Who voted how
Seven Republicans voted no: Thomas Massie, Andy Harris, Ralph Norman, Keith Self, Tom McClintock, Chip Roy and Warren Davidson. Democrats split 58 in favor and 152 against. Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top Democrats said the bill “gives extraordinary power to Donald Trump” because it lets him waive the sanctions while handing him wide new tariff authority.
Axios had reported on September 15 that House Democratic leaders openly opposed the bill, though not every Democrat looked ready to follow. Democrats including Gregory Meeks and Don Beyer, along with Richard Neal, voiced concerns earlier in the week while stressing support for Ukraine.
Graham’s sister, Senator Darline Graham, appointed to his seat and seeking a full term, praised the result on X. “Today is a monumental day for peace,” she wrote, adding that the legislation “was deeply important to my brother, Lindsey.”
A long road
Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal introduced the first version in the Senate in early April 2025, with a 500% tariff on goods from countries that kept buying Russian oil. A Wall Street Journal report from June 2025 said Trump officials were quietly pressing Graham to water it down. Trump held off until July 2026 before letting Republican leaders schedule a vote, Reuters reported. On July 28 the Senate took its first procedural vote.
Sources
- House passes Russia and Iran sanctions bill championed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (ABC News)
- Congress approves Lindsey O. Graham Russia sanctions bill (New Voice of Ukraine)
