Senate passes Russia sanctions bill pushed by late Sen. Lindsey Graham

Key Points:

• The Senate approved a bipartisan Russian sanctions package 86-11, aiming to penalize countries continuing to buy Russian oil and gas, in an effort to cut off funding for Putin’s war in Ukraine.
• The legislation, championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, allows the president to impose tariffs on top purchasers of Russian energy, including China and India, with exceptions for countries reducing their imports.
• The package includes sanctions on Putin, Russian political and military leaders, financial institutions, and energy projects, and targets oil tankers used to evade existing sanctions.
• Some Democrats and Republicans opposed the bill due to concerns over granting President Trump broad tariff authority, fearing inflationary impacts and misuse; an amendment to remove this power was defeated.
• The bill now moves to the House, where lawmakers continue to debate the extent of tariff powers given to the president, with calls for adjustments to prevent harm to Americans while maintaining pressure on Russia.