Key facts
- A bill co-authored by the late Senator Lindsey Graham would give President Donald Trump new authority to impose 100% tariffs on top purchasers of Russian oil.
- The bill targets Russia's energy and defense industries, and its 'shadow fleet' of tankers.
- Democratic lawmakers, including Representatives Gregory Meeks, Don Beyer, and Richard Neal, oppose the bill, citing concerns about expanding presidential tariff powers and potential harm to US allies and consumers.
- The bill passed the House rules committee on Monday and is scheduled for a House floor vote on Wednesday.
- An amendment proposed by Representative Steny Hoyer would limit secondary sanctions to 10 countries, including China, India, and Turkey.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy encouraged the US to pass the bill to increase economic pressure on Russia.
A legislative push to grant President Donald Trump expanded powers to impose tariffs on Russia and its trading partners is nearing a critical vote in the US House of Representatives this week. The bill, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, aims to increase economic pressure on Russia amid its ongoing war in Ukraine.
The legislation, known as the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, seeks to target Russia's energy and defense sectors, as well as its "shadow fleet" of tankers used to circumvent existing oil sanctions. It would empower Trump to impose 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil, including China and India.
However, the bill faces significant opposition from both within the Republican party, from its more isolationist wing, and from prominent Democrats. Critics, led by Representatives Gregory Meeks, Don Beyer, and Richard Neal, argue that the legislation would unduly expand presidential tariff authority, potentially leading to abuse and harming US allies and consumers. They contend that the bill's current form "would do more harm than good" by raising prices for Americans and undermining long-term support for Ukraine.
Negotiations are underway to amend the bill, with Representative Steny Hoyer proposing a change to limit the secondary sanctions to 10 specific countries, including China, India, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Slovakia, and the United Arab Emirates. Representative Linda Sánchez has publicly urged her Democratic colleagues to support the bill, despite concerns about granting Trump more tariff power.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced his support for the bill, emphasizing the importance of economic pressure on Russia to end the war. Vitaly Kim, a member of Zelenskyy's cabinet, also stated that economic pressure through sanctions is the quickest route to ending the conflict.