The Senate passed a sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill Friday in an 86-11 vote, delivering a posthumous legislative win to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who died last month after championing the measure for years.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 authorizes the Trump administration to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas. It also extends existing sanctions on Iran’s energy and weapons sectors, which were set to expire at the end of this year.
The bill cleared a procedural hurdle last week with broad bipartisan support, just hours after Graham’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral. His sister, Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC), who was appointed to fill his seat, announced the final vote tally on the floor Friday.
“Each member of this body must also make a choice,” Nordone said ahead of the vote, “whether we have the courage to stand up to evil, or continue on with the status quo.”
The measure faced friction this week over how much tariff authority it hands the president. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) offered an amendment to strip the 100% tariff provision entirely. It failed 32-64.
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) raised separate concerns about Trump’s use of tariff power, saying senators had “seen the ways in which he illegally uses the authorities he has.” Warnock secured a written commitment from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer promising guardrails on how the tariff authority would be applied, then withdrew his own amendment.
“A small but meaningful victory for all Americans who’ve suffered under this president’s reckless tariffs,” Warnock said of the commitment.
Graham had announced an agreement with the White House on the bill’s path forward the day before his death on July 11. He said at the time he’d “never been more optimistic” about the war in Ukraine drawing to a close.
Most senators met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month when he attended Graham’s funeral. Zelensky pressed lawmakers for both continued military aid and passage of the sanctions bill.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said the legislation is a test for the administration as much as Congress. “Putin has made it clear he’s going to continue killing civilians and pummeling,” Coons said. “What really matters is not this bill; it’s what does Donald Trump do with it?”
The bill now heads to the House, which is expected to take it up when it returns from summer recess on Aug. 31.
Daniel Balson of the pro-Ukraine group Razom called the vote “a fitting tribute” to Graham. “Putin should be under no illusion: the longer he continues his illegal war, the higher the cost he will face,” Balson said.
