US House of Representatives backs Lindsey Graham’s bill on sanctions against Russia
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill introduced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham that would authorize the US president to impose tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy.
Following its approval in the House, the bill is due to go to US President Donald Trump for his signature, Reuters reported, as cited by Rubryka.
Graham's bill would allow the US president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that:
- Buy Russian energy
- Help Russia evade sanctions
The bill also includes sanctions against Russia's "shadow fleet," as well as Russian officials and banks.
It also provides for an extension of sanctions against Iran.
US President Donald Trump must sign the bill for it to become law.
According to the report, 262 House members voted in favor of the bill and 159 voted against it.
Photo source: X / Ostap Yarysh
Among Democrats, 58 representatives supported the bill, breaking with others in their party. Media reports described such votes as a "loyalty test" within the party, noting that Democrats usually vote against such bills.
Meanwhile, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk welcomed the US House of Representatives' final approval of Graham's bill. In his view, pressure on Russia is translating into concrete action.
Stefanchuk noted that, following the Senate's earlier approval, the House vote completes the bill's passage through the US Congress.
"For Ukraine, pressure on Russia's ability to finance the war must translate into concrete decisions," the Ukrainian parliament speaker wrote on Facebook.
He also thanked members of both chambers of the US Congress and House Speaker Mike Johnson for supporting the bill.
Stefanchuk singled out Senator Richard Blumenthal, who launched the sanctions initiative alongside Graham and spent considerable time advancing it.
"This work did not stop after Lindsey Graham's death. His legacy lives on. And the cost of Russian aggression must continue to rise," Stefanchuk said.
Background
As previously reported, US senators introduced an updated bipartisan version of the bill imposing new sanctions on Russia on July 15. The legislation retains tough restrictions on Russia's economy, banking sector, and "shadow fleet," while changing the approach to tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy.
One of the main changes concerns tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil and gas. The earlier proposal called for a uniform 500% tariff on all importers, while the revised version sets a maximum tariff of 100% that would apply only to the five largest buyers of Russian energy.
The bill's authors name China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan among the largest importers of Russian oil.
At the same time, the core sanctions package remains tough. The bill provides for restrictions on:
- Russia's "shadow fleet," which it uses to evade international sanctions
- Russia's financial sector, including its central bank
- Major energy projects, including Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 1, 2, and 3
Senators introduced the bill several days after the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, one of its main sponsors.
