Sanctions Against Russia: Graham's Bill Could Be Stalled in Congress for a Long Time
Senator Lindsey Graham’s bill to strengthen sanctions against Russia, which the U.S. Senate approved by an overwhelming majority, has faced resistance in the House of Representatives. Due to concerns about the potential consequences of imposing tariffs, its consideration will likely be postponed until at least the November elections.
The bill would give Trump the authority to impose 100% tariffs on the five largest importers of Russian oil and natural gas, as well as on five countries that help Russia circumvent energy sanctions. China, India, and Turkey are the largest buyers of Russian energy resources.
Some supporters of Ukraine in Washington are pushing for the bill’s passage as a way to demonstrate U.S. support for Kyiv. At the same time, it is unclear whether Trump will exercise the powers this law would grant him, particularly with regard to China.
The overwhelming support for the bill in the Senate—86 votes in favor to 11 against—reflected, in part, the senators’ desire to honor Graham’s memory following his sudden death in July. In the House of Representatives, the response to this initiative has been significantly cooler.
On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed doubt that the sanctions bill would be brought to a vote before the midterm congressional elections on November 3. According to him, this is partly because lawmakers plan to hold only a few working days in Washington over the next two months.
Johnson noted that leading Democrats on the Foreign Affairs and Taxation committees oppose the measure. He added that “certain groups” of Republicans in the House of Representatives are also expressing concerns.
“We all support imposing sanctions against Russia, but we need to find the right approach to get the bill passed,” he told reporters. “We’re trying to resolve this issue and ensure we get a result that can pass the House of Representatives.”
Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that the bill is being analyzed, in particular, with regard to its potential impact on gasoline prices. According to him, if the law forces India and other buyers of Russian oil to turn to oil markets in other countries, it could lead to higher prices.
“That’s one of the things being analyzed right now,” he said.
Gas prices in the U.S. have risen sharply amid the war with Iran and are widely seen as a threat to the Republican majority in Congress ahead of the November midterm elections.
Democrats, for their part, fear that Trump could use the bill as a new legal justification for imposing sweeping tariffs, as his current tariffs are being challenged in court.
Johnson will need broad support from Democrats if he attempts to pass the bill under the House of Representatives’ expedited procedure, which requires a two-thirds majority. Recently, the speaker has faced difficulties passing bills through the normal legislative process, as he has only a slim majority and is facing opposition from within his own party.
The bill has also raised concerns among business representatives. In August, a broad coalition of business lobbyists—including the Retail Leaders Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Foreign Trade Council, an association of companies dependent on international trade, such as ExxonMobil Holdings Corp., General Electric Co., Ford Motor Co., and Pfizer Inc.—sent a letter to Congress expressing concerns about the sanctions bill.
“We remain concerned that parts of the bill could have unpredictable consequences for consumers due to the imposition of new, significant tariffs on other countries that are our trading partners and allies,” said Ellen Jackson, director of government relations at the Retail Leaders Association, in a statement.
Bloomberg reported this.
EU ambassadors have postponed a decision on extending sanctions against Russia.
The EU has published a full list of new sanctions against Russia.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry called for tougher sanctions following Russia’s attack on a tanker near Romania.
The EU will impose sanctions on Belarusian oil refineries for supplying gasoline to Russia.
