Russia-Ukraine — 2026-07-19

Bipartisan Russia Sanctions Bill Secures 62 Senate Backers With Up to 100 Percent Tariffs on Major Russian Energy Purchasers

BLUFSenate passage by September 30 is likely given filibuster-proof backing and White House buy-in, but House resistance to discretionary tariff authority remains the binding constraint on enactment.

A bipartisan group of 62 senators introduced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 on Thursday, according to a joint statement from Senators Katie Britt, Darline Graham, Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker 12. The bill directs the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on goods from the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas or top facilitators of sanctions evasion, exempting countries whose Russian gas imports fall below 15 percent of Russia's exports and that are reducing purchases 13. Sponsors said Graham secured White House agreement on the revised text before his death, and EUToday reported the 62-senator tally clears the Senate's 60-vote filibuster threshold, though Republican leaders had only begun an informal "hotline" process to schedule a floor vote 4. House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks criticized the bill as granting Trump broad discretionary tariff authority rather than mandating automatic sanctions, according to RFE/RL 3.

Analysis
The tally clears the Senate's filibuster threshold on paper but does not compel floor time, and the House remains the harder gate: Meeks and House Democrats are staking out opposition to discretionary tariff authority rather than mandatory sanctions, a fight the Senate vote count does not resolve. Passage by September 30 is likely, anchored to White House buy-in secured before Graham's death and the political cost of blocking a bill carrying his name, though scheduling still depends on Thune's floor calendar. Moderate confidence reflects sponsor and committee statements converging on vote count and White House agreement, but no reporting yet indicates a floor date or resolves the House authority dispute.

4 sources

U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Darline Graham, Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen, Roger Wicker Lead Bipartisan Group of 62 Senators in Announcing Russia Sanctions Legislation in Honor of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham - Office of Senator Katie Britt
Shaheen Joins Blumenthal and Darline Graham in Introducing Legislation with 60+ Cosponsors to Hold Purchasers of Russian Oil Accountable - GlobalSecurity.org (Senate Foreign Relations Committee release)
US Senate Unveils Revised Russia Sanctions Bill As Lawmakers Push To Cement Graham's Legacy - RFE/RL
Graham Russia Sanctions Bill Secures 62 Senate Backers but Floor Vote Remains Uncertain - EUToday