House passes Russia sanctions bill, overcoming Democratic opposition

Washington — A sweeping Russia sanctions bill overcame opposition in the House on Wednesday, after many Democrats expressed concern that it would expand President Trump's tariff authorities.

The House passed the bill in a 262 to 159 vote on the final day that the lower chamber is in session before lawmakers leave Washington until after Election Day. Some 58 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while seven Republicans voted in opposition.

The Senate passed the legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support in August after more than a year of negotiations that were spearheaded by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. It now heads to Mr. Trump's desk.

The effort to penalize top Russian figures and the biggest buyers of Russian oil over the war in Ukraine gained fresh momentum after Graham's sudden death in July. Graham died shortly after returning from a trip to Kyiv and announcing that a deal had been reached with the White House to move forward on an updated version of the legislation.

The bill, titled The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 , allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas. There are exceptions for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and are taking "significant" steps to reduce the imports. It also includes sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, officials within his government, oligarchs and Russian banks and financial institutions.

China and India are the largest buyers of Russian crude oil, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air think tank. Europe has historically been Russia's largest natural gas customer, though the European Union has cut its imports significantly in recent years, and sales to China have grown.

At the request of Mr. Trump, the bill also extends sanctions on Iran's energy and weapons sectors.

It gives the president authority to waive the sanctions if he certifies to Congress that it's in the national interests of the U.S.

Several House Democrats in leadership positions have been opposed to the measure in its current form, arguing it "would do more harm than good."

"This bill would dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities while failing to mandate sanctions on Russia, both of which are unacceptable. These flaws would raise Americans' prices while undermining support for Ukraine in the long term," Democratic Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York, Don Beyer of Virginia and Richard Neal of Massachusetts said in a statement Friday after GOP leaders added the legislation to this week's floor schedule.