The US Senate voted 86-11 on Friday to pass sweeping new sanctions legislation targeting Russia and Iran, clearing a bill that had stalled in Congress for more than a year before the death of its chief sponsor gave it a final push toward passage.
The measure, formally titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, was renamed in honor of the South Carolina Republican senator, who died on July 12 at age 71 from an aortic dissection, days after returning from a trip to Kyiv. Graham had spent years pushing versions of the bill, which lawmakers and reporters have long nicknamed the “sanctions bill from hell” for the scale of economic pressure it applies to Moscow.
The legislation authorizes the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas, with carve-outs for countries that import less than 15 percent of their gas from Russia and are taking steps to reduce that further. It also adds sanctions on President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian officials, oligarchs, and Russian banks and financial institutions.
At the White House’s request, the bill was expanded to include Iran, extending sanctions authority targeting Tehran’s energy and weapons sectors and closing a gap that would otherwise have let that authority lapse.
Friday’s vote followed a procedural motion that cleared the Senate 86-12 on July 29. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended Graham’s funeral, called the bill’s passage “deeply symbolic” and “the best way to honor his memory.”
Not every lawmaker is on board. In the House, Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks described the measure as “a massive backdoor authority for President Trump to impose more tariffs,” calling it a Trojan horse. Senator Raphael Warnock said he secured commitments addressing some of those tariff concerns before voting yes, calling it “a small but meaningful victory.”
The bill now moves to the House, which is not due back from its five-week August recess for several weeks. Speaker Mike Johnson said he was “heartened” by a deal reached with the White House, and the Trump administration has signaled support, though Democratic resistance over the expanded tariff powers could still complicate final passage.
discussion