US House leaders keep Graham's Russia sanctions act off this week's vote list
Republican leaders in the US House left the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act off this week's vote list after a five-week recess. The Senate passed it 86 to 11; Kyiv Post dates that vote to 7 August. Virginia Foxx told POLITICO nobody was talking about the bill, and Mike Johnson gave no date. Kyiv Post says the act would let the president impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from countries buying Russian oil, gas and uranium.
Geopolitics··Midday
US House leaders leave Graham's act off this week's vote list
Republican leaders in the US House omitted the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act from the list of bills to be voted on this week as lawmakers returned from a five-week recess. POLITICO and Kyiv Post both report that omission. Kyiv Post adds that members came back on Monday after a summer break and that the bill was barely mentioned. House Rules Chair Virginia Foxx told POLITICO the measure did not come up at a chairmen's meeting and that nobody was talking about it; she also said she did not know whether it would go through her committee on the way to the floor. Kyiv Post repeats those remarks as comments Foxx gave to POLITICO. Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged an uphill fight and would not commit to a floor vote, POLITICO writes, pointing to Democratic opposition while saying Republicans had been consistent in taking a strong hand against Russia. Kyiv Post writes that Johnson, asked whether the House would vote on the bill, said the chamber would wait and see.[1], [2]
Senate-passed act would put tariffs on Russia's commodity buyers
The Senate passed the measure, which carries the name of the late Senator Lindsey Graham and targets Russia's trading partners with sanctions, by 86 votes to 11 less than a month before the House omission, POLITICO reports. Kyiv Post gives the same 86 to 11 margin and dates that Senate vote to 7 August. According to Kyiv Post, the renamed bill, S.5025, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, would let the president impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from countries buying Russian oil, gas, uranium and other key commodities. That 100 per cent figure is down from the 500 per cent tariff on such goods in Graham's original bill S.1241, Kyiv Post writes; the revised bill also seeks a 500 per cent tariff on all Russian imports. POLITICO does not carry those tariff figures. Supporters in both chambers argue the measure would give the White House added leverage over Moscow, POLITICO reports. Kyiv Post is Ukraine's English-language paper covering a Russia-sanctions story from Kyiv; the tariff terms rest on its account.[1], [2]
Election calendar and a House split leave a floor vote uncertain
POLITICO describes significant Democratic opposition, a lack of Republican enthusiasm, and a fading wish to honor South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham. In that account Speaker Mike Johnson tied the delay to Democratic opposition. Kyiv Post, covering the same House delay, stresses the calendar: House Republicans have little time before the election and are already divided over government funding. If hard-right Republicans block a key procedural vote this week, Kyiv Post writes, lawmakers could leave Washington earlier than planned.[1], [2]
