House passes Russia sanctions bill

The House passed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill Thursday, sending the long-awaited legislation to President Trump's desk. Why it matters: The measure would significantly expand economic pressure on Russia while handing Trump fresh authority to impose secondary tariffs of up to 100% on buyers of Russian oil and gas. It would also target Russia's "shadow fleet," the network of aging tankers used to evade Western sanctions while exporting Russian oil. The vote was 262-159. The bill was renamed in honor of its lead sponsor, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died suddenly in July. Driving the news: The bill scrambled the usual partisan lines on Russia and Ukraine, with House Democratic leaders opposing it while some rank-and-file Democrats backed the measure. Democratic leaders objected primarily over provisions handing Trump more tariff authority. Republicans rejected Democratic efforts in the Rules Committee earlier this week to strip the tariff authority or narrow how it could be used. Republicans in the isolationist wing of the party opposed the legislation amid broader resistance to further U.S. involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. Catch up quick: The legislation has been more than a year in the making, dating back to a sanctions push Graham and dozens of senators launched in April 2025. The sanctions package has long had wide bipartisan support, but concerns from the White House held it up for months. Graham had been the key negotiator with the White House. The Senate passed the measure last month with broad bipartisan support after Trump officially backed the legislation.

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