House passes the Lindsay Graham Act, expanding sanctions against Russia and Iran

The House of Representatives approved the Lindsay Graham Act, designed to squeeze Russia over its war in Ukraine, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump after months of delay. The bill also extend sanctions involving Iran.

The Republican-led House  passed the package by 262-159, giving a final congressional green light to the most substantial US legislative effort against Moscow since Trump returned to office. Trump has said he will sign the measure, which sailed through the Senate in an 86-11 vote last month.

The legislation targets Russia's energy and defense sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as Moscow's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions. It also gives Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas -- including potentially China and India -in an effort to choke off revenue financing Moscow's war.

Democrat Rep. Gregory Meeks: "Deeply flawed"

But its sweeping tariff powers produced an unusual split among Democrats, who overwhelmingly support Ukraine but have resisted handing Trump greater authority over trade. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the bill "deeply flawed."

"White House lawyers drafted the current text to maximize President Trump's authority to impose new import taxes on the American people, and to minimize any obligation to actually impose new sanctions on Russia or its enablers."

Meeks said he would support the legislation if the secondary tariff provisions were removed, but Republicans rejected amendments aimed at narrowing them.

A handful of GOP lawmakers voted against the bill

Dozens of Democrats nevertheless supported the measure, countering opposition from a handful of Republicans such as Chip Roy, Thomas Massie, Ralph Norman, Keith Self, and Andy Harris , who objected to the sanctions on free-market or non-interventionist grounds.

Supporters argue that tougher economic pressure is needed, with Russia's full-scale invasion grinding through its fifth year and no peace settlement in sight.

The House vote was celebrated by pro-Ukraine activists, who pointed to Russian attacks continuing, including drone strikes on Wednesday on civilian transport in the south that officials in Kyiv said killed five people.

"Putin is losing 30,000 his soldiers per month"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged Congress to pass the sanctions package, saying greater pressure was needed to force Moscow toward negotiations.

"So now Putin is losing 30,000 his soldiers per month... it's many losses, but he doesn't want to stop this war," Zelensky said during a July trip to Washington that included a meeting with Trump. "So now initiative (is) not in the hands of Putin."

India Challenges the U.S.

After House passed the bill, India "made clear its determination to take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests," so it would continue buying oil "through diversified sourcing and on the basis of evolving market dynamics." Moscow is one of New Delhi's most important strategic partners and military suppliers. 

The bill would also target companies and foreign actors supporting Russia's military and It also includes a provision to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran's energy and weapons sectors.

Its sponsor, Republican senator Lindsey Graham -who died suddenly in July- had pushed the legislation since April 2025. Wednesday's vote came just before House lawmakers were due to leave Washington to campaign ahead of November's midterm elections.

"We hope for strong US enforcement to finally end the cash flows to the Kremlin's war chest"

"Once the bill is quickly signed and becomes law, we hope for strong US enforcement to finally end the cash flows to the Kremlin's war chest," said to AFP Svitlana Romanko, executive director of Ukrainian energy lobby group Razom We Stand.

"Every day of delay is a day we in Ukraine must bury more people."