House passes Graham sanctions bill 262–159 — tariff powers on Russian energy buyers head to Trump's desk intact

The House gave final approval on Wednesday evening to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sending it to President Donald Trump's desk for a signature a White House official said he plans to add. The final vote was 262–159, with dozens of Democrats crossing the aisle and just seven Republicans voting no. The most contested provision survived intact: authority for the administration to impose duties of up to 100% on the countries that buy the most Russian crude oil and natural gas, or that do the most to help Moscow evade energy sanctions. That power nearly didn't make it: roughly a dozen Republicans privately lobbied Speaker Mike Johnson to strip it out, fearing it could push consumer prices higher weeks before the midterms, according to people familiar with the conversations cited by CNN. Johnson rebuffed them.

What the bill actually does

Beyond tariffs, the bill mandates sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs, their families, state-owned enterprises, banks, and foreign firms feeding Russia's defense industrial base — plus the "shadow fleet" of tankers Moscow uses to dodge restrictions.

The tariff mechanism sits in Section 113. Within 30 days of enactment, the president is required to raise the duty rate on all goods imported from each covered country to up to 100% ad valorem. The covered set is mechanical: the five largest importers of Russian-origin crude oil, the five largest of Russian-origin natural gas, and the five countries that most facilitate sanctions evasion. USTR Jamieson Greer sets and adjusts the final level, reassesses the lists every 180 days, and reports to Congress. A national-interest waiver lets the president lift sanctions or duties with a written certification.

Per the Atlantic Council, China and India are certain targets — but the net could also catch Turkey, Japan, Slovakia, and Hungary. China alone accounts for 51% of Moscow's fossil-fuel revenues, according to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The bill also extends sanctions restricting funding for Iran's energy and weapons sectors, consolidating the two countries' sanctions into one package at Trump's request.

A bipartisan bill that split the Democrats

The Senate passed the measure 86–11 on August 7. The House floor was harder: Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted no, and 152 Democrats joined him against 58 who voted yes — after two centrist Democrats broke with their leaders to help advance it when GOP votes fell short.

It was an awkward divide: Rep. Steny Hoyer, one of Ukraine's most prominent House allies, delivered an impassioned floor defense of voting yes, while Reps. Gregory Meeks, Richard Neal, and Don Beyer said jointly the bill "would dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities while failing to mandate sanctions on Russia" and would raise Americans' prices. Rep. Richard Neal, the top Democrat on Ways and Means, warned there is "no guarantee in this legislation that the president could not use these tariffs against Ukraine." Supporters say the fears are misplaced: Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the House sponsor, argued it "will hit them where it really hurts and will provide the leverage necessary to get Putin to the table," and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the lead Senate Democratic cosponsor, called this week a moment of "profound responsibility," with Zelenskyy personally pressing lawmakers for passage.

Why this landed tonight

The bill is named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who introduced the original in April 2025 and spent more than a year negotiating it before his sudden death on July 11. His final public appearance, one day before he died, was in Kyiv, where he announced Trump would back the bill — and the July 28 Senate deal was framed as honoring his legacy.

Trump had long preferred to keep tariff and sanctions authority in his own hands rather than legislate it; this summer he came on board, and the bill moved fast — Senate passage in early August, House passage a month later.

What happens next

If Trump signs, the 30-day clock starts: Greer's office must name the covered countries and set the duty levels, kicking off the 180-day reassessment cycle. Supporters are betting the credible threat of 100% levies changes buying behavior in Beijing and New Delhi before duties ever bite; critics are betting the administration will use the broad authority for its own purposes, or quietly waive it.

For markets, the bill is a conditional more than a shock: a new statutory tariff weapon, with timing, targets, and levels left to executive discretion. Whether it becomes a market event depends on how aggressively the White House pulls the trigger.