The House Rules Committee approved bipartisan legislation Monday designed to significantly increase economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine.
The bill would grant President Trump broad authority to impose penalties on individuals working on behalf of the Russian government to stall peace negotiations with Ukraine.
The legislation also targets those who violate a negotiated peace agreement or attempt to subvert the Ukrainian government, giving the White House expanded tools to respond to Russian aggression.
Among its key provisions, the bill would allow Trump to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and certain Russian military commanders.
The legislation additionally covers “any foreign person that knowingly provides defense items” to the Russian military, extending its reach beyond Russian nationals to third-party actors globally.
The bill would further empower Trump to raise the tariff rate to 500 percent on goods from Russia and any countries “that knowingly engage in the exchange of Russian-origin uranium and petroleum products.”
The late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was a prominent champion of the legislation, which has since gained bipartisan support as pressure mounts on the administration to take a harder line with Moscow.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters Monday that he could fast-track the Russia sanctions bill through a process that would require a two-thirds majority, according to Politico.
The push to accelerate the bill comes as the House prepares to depart on a seven-week recess at the close of business Thursday, creating urgency for leadership to act quickly.
The timing is significant given that July marked the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, according to the United Nations, underscoring the human toll of the prolonged conflict.
Trump has enlisted his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff to broker a peace deal between Russian and Ukrainian officials, though those efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
The passage of the bill through the Rules Committee signals growing congressional frustration with the pace of diplomacy and a desire to provide the executive branch with stronger leverage at the negotiating table.
