House sends Lindsey Graham’s Russia and Iran sanctions bill to Trump

The House passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by 262 votes to 159 on Wednesday night and sent it to President Donald Trump. The Senate had approved the same text in August by 86 to 11. Speaker Mike Johnson called it a message of unity. One hundred and fifty-two Democrats voted no, saying the bill hands the president a new tariff power he has already used without Congress.

Fifty-eight Democrats crossed the floor to vote yes. Seven Republicans voted no: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Andy Harris of Maryland, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Keith Self of Texas, Tom McClintock of California, Chip Roy of Texas and Warren Davidson of Ohio. One Independent voted yes. The House then left town until after Election Day.

What the statute allows

The centre of the bill is energy. It lets the president impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on goods from the five largest purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, and from the five countries judged to do most to help the shadow tanker fleet that moves Russian crude around existing sanctions. Exceptions exist for states that take less than 15 percent of their gas from Russia and that can show they are cutting those volumes. India and China sit in the political argument even when they are not named in every paragraph. Both buy Russian barrels. Both have already faced tariff fights with this White House.

The bill also hits Russian officials, oligarchs, banks and the shadow fleet directly, and it extends Iran energy and weapons sanctions by five years. Trump asked for that Iran rider. The title carries Lindsey Graham’s name after the South Carolina Republican died on 11 July. His sister, Senator Darline Graham, appointed to the seat, said the vote would have meant a great deal to him. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had lobbied members in person.

Trump did not allow Republican leaders to schedule the bill until days before Graham’s death. He has since signalled he will sign it. Signing would give the White House a statute to point to when it threatens secondary tariffs, instead of relying only on executive orders. That is why Democratic leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, voted no even as they support pressure on Moscow. The objection is the tool, not the target.

What happens after a signature

A signed law does not automatically put 100 percent tariffs on New Delhi or Beijing. It authorises them. The president still chooses the list and the timing. India has already said energy purchases will follow national interest. China has called the approach unlawful long-arm jurisdiction. European gas purchases from Russia have fallen since 2022, which is why the bill’s authors now look east.

The House calendar makes the next move simple. Members are gone. The bill sits on the president’s desk among other unsigned measures. If he signs, ministries in Delhi and Beijing will treat the 100 percent figure as a live option, not a speech. If he delays, the statute still exists as a threat. Either way, the 262-159 vote is the fact that closed this Congress’s Russia file before the midterm recess.