The U.S. Senate approved the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 with a bipartisan 86-11 vote on August 7, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The bill, named for the late Senator Lindsey Graham who championed it before his death in July 2026, targets Russia and Iran with new sanctions and tariff measures [1, 2, 3, 5].
The legislation imposes sanctions and visa bans on Russian President Vladimir Putin, top military commanders, oligarchs, and financial institutions [1, 2, 5]. It also applies tariffs of up to 500% on Russian exports and up to 100% tariffs on goods from the top five importers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India [1, 2, 5]. Darline Graham, the senator’s widow, said the bill "forces those primary countries keeping Russia’s economy afloat to make a simple yet critical choice – a choice between doing business with America or buying cheap Russian energy" [1].
The bill grants former President Donald Trump authority to impose and modify tariffs on countries importing Russian energy without a congressional rollback mechanism [1, 2, 5]. This expansive tariff power drew dissent from some senators. Ron Wyden said, "This bill gives him so much discretion that Trump can ultimately decide what countries to tariff, or what countries to exempt. And he can modify tariffs at his will" [1]. Senator Mazie Hirono warned it "provides too much room for him to do things that are unpredictable and that actually harms the situation" [2]. Rand Paul cautioned the tariffs "threaten to undermine America's strategic position in the world," arguing China likely would not be deterred by the tariffs and might further align with Russia [5].
The bill also extends sanctions on Iran’s weapons and energy sectors at Trump’s request [2, 3, 5]. Senator Richard Blumenthal described the sanctions and tariffs as "sledgehammer" measures that "will stop all who are complicit in this murderous, criminal war of aggression against a brave free people" [2].
The legislative effort was influenced by lobbying from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who watched the Senate vote live from Kyiv [1, 5]. The bill was introduced in Congress over a year ago in 2025 [3, 5]. Lindsey Graham died in July 2026 after a trip to Kyiv, just before the final push to pass the bill [1, 2, 3, 5]. Eleven senators voted against it, including Democrats Mazie Hirono, Ron Wyden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Republican Rand Paul [1, 4].
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, which is expected to consider it after returning from recess in late August or September 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
