House sends Russia sanctions bill to Trump in 262-159 vote
The House on Wednesday passed a broad package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy, sending the bill to President Donald Trump in a 262-159 vote. The measure aims to deprive President Vladimir Putin of the financial resources to wage the war against Ukraine.
The bill is named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who spent more than a year negotiating it. The legislation represents the most ambitious effort to support Ukraine since Trump’s return to the White House and would break nearly two years of relative gridlock on the issue following a 2024 emergency aid package.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing for the bill’s passage and made a direct appeal to senators shortly before they passed it last month. The Senate passed it 86-11.
The measure sanctions Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers that keeps Russian energy moving. It also directs Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.
“These countries have a choice to make about whether they will continue to sustain Putin’s aggression,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas.
Supporters said the provision is aimed at deterring China and India from purchasing Russian energy. Critics said they fear Trump will use it to target allies in the European Union and elsewhere, and that Americans would pay higher prices at the cash register.
“This president has always said he loves tariffs,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. “And we know the history of what he’s done with reference to tariffs to our European allies, and our allies everywhere.”
Democrats were divided on the bill, despite overwhelming support in the caucus for aiding Ukraine. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told colleagues they cannot control what the president does, but they can stand up and declare where they are on the war.
“If we fail to pass this bill, there will be cheers in the Kremlin and tears in Kyiv,” Hoyer said.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., predicted Ukraine supporters would come to regret voting for the bill. “Yes they will be able to say ‘we stood with Ukraine’ in the immediate aftermath,” Beyer said. “But when Donald Trump hits our allies with new tariffs and waives sanctions on Russia, the propaganda victory for Putin will be lasting, and the damage will be embedded in U.S. law.”
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, speaking in opposition to the bill, said Democrats would continue to support the Ukrainian people until victory is won, “but this bill does not provide a path to secure that.”
Congress has struggled to ensure the flow of U.S. funding and munitions to Ukraine as Republican support for spending billions more on the effort has waned. Trump routinely derided the Ukraine aid while campaigning for the White House and insisted he would quickly end the war launched by Moscow’s February 2022 invasion.
It took Graham essentially a full year to bring Trump on board with the package. Trump gave a nod to the bill after it included his push for a five-year extension of existing sanctions on Iran. Republicans speaking on the House floor in advance of Wednesday’s vote were overwhelmingly supportive.
Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., acknowledged Democratic criticism that tariffs could be used aggressively on smaller U.S. allies, but said it was time to deliver a message to the Kremlin: “End this war, get out of Ukraine, focus on rebuilding your shattered international reputation and your destroyed economy.”
Passage of the bill in the House came on the final day the chamber is expected to be in session for votes before the Nov. 3 elections.
Leading up to the vote, Zelenskyy took to social media urging the House to pass the bill. He said during war it is sometimes better to “make a not-so-perfect decision than to do nothing.”
“And this is a very important historical moment for the United States,” Zelenskyy said on X. “The bill must be passed, voted on, and supported. Beyond that, strong decisions from the U.S. Administration are important. Personal decisions by President Trump. I very much hope we will see that.”
