House Stalls Senate-Passed Russia Sanctions Bill Over Tariff Powers
The U.S. House of Representatives has stalled a Senate-passed sanctions bill that would grant President Donald Trump expanded authority to impose 100 percent tariffs on Russian energy buyers.
The United States House of Representatives has stalled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, despite the bill passing the Senate on August 7 with an 86-11 vote. The legislation would authorize Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas, as well as nations assisting Moscow in evading Western sanctions.
Opposition in the House is split along partisan and ideological lines. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other senior Democrats argue the bill grants the president expanded tariff and sanctions authority that could be abused. Some Republican libertarians and business groups, including the Retail Industry Leaders Association, have raised concerns over unintended economic consequences and the potential for increased gasoline prices. Speaker Mike Johnson has not scheduled a floor vote and indicated the measure is unlikely to reach the floor before the November 3 midterm elections, especially after Republican leaders canceled the final two weeks of the pre-election session.
Ukrainian Sanctions Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk has lobbied Washington lawmakers, arguing that tariffs are essential because they cannot be evaded like traditional sanctions. Vlasiuk warned that while the Russian economy is shrinking, the Kremlin has enough resources to continue its military campaign for at least six months. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a bill sponsor, echoed this urgency, stating that throttling revenue could undercut the ability of the Russian war machine to operate.
