Lindsey Graham's Russia sanctions bill secures Senate majority — Axios
61 senators support Graham's sweeping Russia sanctions bill (Photo: REUTERS/Kent Nishimura)
Sweeping Russia sanctions bill championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham has already secured more than 60 co-sponsors — a margin sufficient to guarantee its passage in the U.S. Senate, Axios reported on July 16.
According to a source familiar with the matter, the bill currently boasts at least
The most significant remaining hurdle is scheduling floor time for a full vote during an upcoming Senate session, the publication noted.
On July 14, U.S. senators formally introduced the updated version of the Russia sanctions bill originally drafted by Lindsey Graham. The revised document softens the threat of punitive secondary tariffs against China, India, and other major importers of Russian oil and gas, which had been a major point of contention in the initial draft.
The legislation proposes imposing direct sanctions on Russian officials and utilizing targeted tariffs to pressure China and India into rapidly reducing their energy dependence on Moscow.
Compared to the original draft introduced in April 2025 by Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the proposed secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas have been reduced from
Graham–Blumenthal Russia sanctions bill
The legislative push began in early April 2025 when the bill was first introduced to the U.S. Senate. The initial draft proposed a devastating
By June 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration was quietly lobbying Graham to soften the bill's provisions. At that point, the legislation was backed by a veto-proof majority of more than
On July 10, 2026, at his final press conference in Kyiv, Senator Graham announced that a breakthrough agreement had been finalized with the White House on a revised version of the sanctions package.
Graham explained that the compromise grants President Trump the executive authority to selectively apply tariffs and sanctions against countries buying Russian oil and gas, thereby cutting off the financial flows directly sustaining the regime of dictator Vladimir Putin.
However, on the evening of July 11, the political landscape was shattered when Senator Graham passed away in Washington following a sudden medical emergency.
Medical examiners and official statements from his representatives confirmed the cause of death as an aortic dissection on the background of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
On July 13, a White House official told CNN that President Trump intends to honor Graham's legacy by supporting the passage of the bipartisan Russia sanctions package.
On July 14, Trump told reporters at the White House that he believed sanctions against Iran and Hezbollah should be added to the legislative package. However, co-sponsor Senator Richard Blumenthal cautioned against delaying the process, stating: "We must move forward with this bill, rather than opening it up, in my view, to other potential targets."
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