WASHINGTON, D.C. — There appears to be a breakthrough on legislation that lawmakers say applies tough new sanctions toward Russia.
The unexpected death of the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Lindsey Graham, occurred on the cusp of a tentative agreement between Congress and the White House on the legislation.
Darline Graham Nordone was sworn in as interim U.S. senator for South Carolina on Tuesday to serve the remainder of her late brother’s term.
Graham died suddenly Saturday from an aortic dissection after returning from his tenth trip to Ukraine.
Darline Graham’s swearing-in comes as momentum builds for one of her brother’s signature foreign policy efforts: the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025. Supporters say the package is a great way to crack down on Russia amidst the ongoing war with Ukraine, while also honoring the late senator.
“This is Lindsey Graham’s greatest achievement,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., during a bipartisan press conference Tuesday to unveil the legislation.
“Now is the time for us to pass the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill. We have a limited window to get this done,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
The legislation would give the president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue buying Russian oil, natural gas and uranium. The bill also targets countries that help Russia evade existing sanctions or that purchase large amounts of Russian energy, like China and India.
The original bill underwent an extensive negotiation and expansion process since it was first introduced. It remained stalled in Congress for months until Friday, when Graham, Democratic co-sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Sen. Shaheen, and Sen. Wicker said in a joint statement: “We are proud to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Trump Administration to move our updated Russia sanctions legislation forward. We are very pleased with this significant progress and expect to roll out the legislation very soon.”
“It meets a pivotal moment,” said Blumenthal on Tuesday. “Ukraine is at a crossroads.”
The package has bipartisan support in the Senate and the House.
“We’ve long supported a Russia sanctions bill and the vast majority of the Republicans do,” said Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “I was heartened to hear that apparently Senate Republicans and the White House have come up with a formula that they think will work. And we’re happy to receive and process that.”
“I’ve always been supportive of any type of pressure that we can put on the Russian economy as it relates to what they’re doing in Ukraine,” said Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa.
White House sources tell us President Trump supports the bill. It’s the latest example of the administration’s tougher stance on Moscow and support for Ukraine.
President Trump recently backed Ukraine’s use of long-range strikes inside Russia and approved joint production of Patriot missile interceptors with Kyiv.
“Yes, I would. I think Russia is committing war crimes. I think Putin is a war criminal. I think he’s evil and he’s a killer. He doesn’t care,” said Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa. “I want Ukraine to be as fortified as possible,” Meuser said.
