{"id":1097,"date":"2026-07-14T10:08:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T10:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1097"},"modified":"2026-07-14T10:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T10:08:47","slug":"lawmakers-aim-to-finish-lindsey-grahams-final-mission-russia-sanctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1097","title":{"rendered":"Lawmakers Aim to Finish Lindsey Graham\u2019s Final Mission: Russia Sanctions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sen. Lindsey Graham\u2019s long-awaited Russia sanctions bill is nearing a decisive test in the wake of his death, with Senate negotiators finalizing a revised draft and beginning to lock down the votes needed to bring it to the floor.<\/p>\n

Read more Mike Lawler Has a Plan to Survive in New York<\/a><\/p>\n

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Graham\u2019s Democratic cosponsor, said Monday that bill text could be unveiled as soon as Tuesday and potentially receive a vote this week. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said supporters are briefing senators on changes to an earlier version of the bill that would substantially narrow its tariff and waiver provisions.<\/p>\n

The developments suggest some momentum toward passage after more than a year of false starts. Graham announced just days before he died that he had secured President Donald Trump\u2019s support.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was absolutely ecstatic,\u201d Blumenthal said of Graham\u2019s reaction to Trump\u2019s approval. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard him quite as exuberant. You know, \u2018This is a big fucking deal. We all did good.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The original bill, which attracted more than 80 bipartisan cosponsors, aimed to choke off the revenue funding Moscow\u2019s war by imposing steep tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil and gas, including China and India.<\/p>\n

But the bill was tied up in negotiations over how broadly it would punish countries that buy Russian energy and how much discretion Trump would have to impose tariffs and waive sanctions. Shaheen said the final draft \u201cdramatically limits\u201d the number of countries affected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think right now is the time to get this done because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin\u2019s lost momentum; he\u2019s on his back foot,\u201d Shaheen said. \u201cThe more pressure we can put on him, the greater chance we\u2019ve got to end this war.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Trump has yet to make a public declaration of support, Blumenthal said the Trump administration gave the measure an emphatic green light \u201cin writing\u201d shortly before Graham\u2019s death. That agreement \u2014 aimed at punishing Russia for its war against Ukraine \u2014 followed months of negotiations with the White House.<\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader John Thune had not committed to giving the bill a vote as of Monday. He said that passing it \u201cwould be a great tribute and legacy for Lindsey,\u201d given Graham\u2019s passion for the project, but acknowledged the next steps remained uncertain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re assessing that,\u201d Thune said. \u201cObviously, Lindsey was the man driving that, the driving force behind it. But there are others who have a deep interest in it. So it would be great if we could figure out a way, a path forward to get that done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, said the bill\u2019s fate ultimately rests with the person Graham was uniquely positioned to persuade: Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is in the hands of one man,\u201d Durbin said. \u201cWhen President Trump believes it\u2019s the right time \u2014 for whatever reason: to put an end to the Ukrainian war, to pay tribute to Lindsey Graham, whatever his motive \u2014 it is the president\u2019s decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Graham, pressing Thune in a floor speech Monday to advance the bill.<\/p>\n

Read more Old Infrastructure Underpins Trump Administration\u2019s New War on Fraud<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI urge Sen. Thune, in honor of Lindsey, to put the Russian sanctions bill on the floor immediately,\u201d Schumer said. \u201cIt will pass overwhelmingly and help our allies in Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawmakers are also weighing whether Graham\u2019s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, who will serve out his term<\/u><\/span>, should become the bill\u2019s lead sponsor.<\/p>\n

Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), a Ukraine supporter who favors the sanctions, told NOTUS she should \u201cact as the lead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019ll be plenty of tributes to Lindsey Graham, all of them deserved,\u201d Wicker said. \u201cBut it is good policy that this talented senator named Lindsey Graham was able to persuade the president to support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not all Republicans agree. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) said he would try to block the bill from moving quickly, arguing that steep tariffs on countries buying Russian energy could severely disrupt global trade and produce unintended economic consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people didn\u2019t think through in advance of the Iran war what happens to the world economy when the Strait of Hormuz are threatened and continually threatened,\u201d he said. \u201cThey should try to think in advance of unintended consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the Senate is expected to take the lead on Russian sanctions, there appears to be support for the measure in the lower chamber as well. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) pledged to introduce companion legislation, while Rep. Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina), a cochair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said he hopes lawmakers rename the bill for Graham.<\/p>\n

Wilson said the measure\u2019s secondary sanctions are essential because Russia has learned to evade direct sanctions through shadow fleets and other workarounds.<\/p>\n

Washington\u2019s potential political moves against Russia would reverberate in Ukraine, where Graham\u2019s frequent travels made him popular among everyday Ukrainians according to Mykola Davydiuk, a Ukrainian political scientist and member of parliament.<\/p>\n

To Ukrainian officials, Graham was an influential advocate who could carry their case directly to a president whose advisers and allies have been divided over continued support for the war.<\/p>\n

Davydiuk told NOTUS he was not sure who could replace Graham in that role.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe his death could unite both parties and give those votes,\u201d Davydiuk said, \u201cto finish and to complete his legacy finally because he fought against autocracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more With Lindsey Graham Gone, Republicans Worry They Lost Their Trump Whisperer<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe think right now is the time to get this done because Putin’s lost momentum; he’s on his back foot,\u201d said Sen. 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