The Senate is moving to fast-track a retooled Russia sanctions bill, with Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) signaling unified support to bring the legislation to the floor as a memorial to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
The updated measure, co-sponsored by 85 senators, abandons the earlier threat of crippling 500 percent tariffs on nations continuing to buy Russian energy, including China. The revised text narrows the scope of penalties, a concession secured during a late-stage meeting in Ankara, Turkey, involving Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and key Senate negotiators. Graham briefed President Trump on the agreement in a Saturday phone call, confirming administration buy-in.
Shift in Economic Pressure
The original sanctions framework was designed to wield American economic primacy as a cudgel against Russian President Vladimir Putin by bankrupting oligarchs and penalizing third-party energy purchasers. The pared-back version reflects a Trump administration preference for a targeted pressure campaign rather than broad tariff actions that risk disrupting global energy markets and exposing American consumers to secondary price shocks. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) proposed formally naming the legislation the "Lindsey Graham Sanctions Act," maintaining that the objective remains to "restrain Putin... bankrupt the oligarchs."
Graham's unexpected death has scrambled committee leadership. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is expected to assume the Budget Committee gavel. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, acting on President Trump's request, appointed Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to hold the seat until a 2026 special election. Potential candidates are already positioning for the full-term race.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Graham's long-time partner on the legislation, recalled the senator's final briefing: "He exulted at reaching an agreement ... and said, 'This is a big effing deal.'" The Senate had previously held the bill at the administration's request to allow direct diplomatic and financial pressure on Moscow. The House has already cleared a version of the sanctions, but leaders there have indicated they will amend it to match the Senate's narrowed scope before final passage.