The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 is facing a complicated path forward in the House after clearing the Senate by a wide margin.
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced companion legislation targeting Russia’s energy revenues, banks, and sanctions-evasion networks while the chamber remained in its August recess.
Republican Representatives Michael McCaul of Texas and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania joined Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland to lead the House introduction of the bill.
The legislation is named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham and carries identical text to the Senate version, which passed 86-11.
The bill would target Russian banks, energy revenues, oligarchs, the Kremlin-linked shadow fleet, and foreign governments helping sustain Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
It would also extend longstanding sanctions against Iran through 2031, adding a secondary dimension to the already wide-ranging legislation.
The bill allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, with limited exceptions built into the text.
Exceptions would apply to countries importing less than 15 percent of their natural gas from Russia that are also actively taking steps to reduce those imports.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York voiced strong reservations about the Senate-passed bill on Monday, signaling that Democratic unity behind the measure is far from guaranteed.
Some House Democrats have separately expressed concerns about the legislation granting the president additional executive authority over sanctions decisions.
Senator Blumenthal argued the bill could meaningfully weaken Russian President Vladimir Putin’s standing, saying “His economy is on the verge of major crisis” given a looming deficit of $125 billion, equal to 5 percent of GDP, and a national debt interest rate of 14 percent.
The legislation had been stalled in Congress since April 2025, caught in the crosscurrents of President Donald Trump’s evolving posture toward Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The introduction of the House companion bill before the chamber reconvenes serves as an early whip count, allowing members to co-sponsor the measure and signal their support ahead of a floor vote expected sometime this fall.
