Congress passes sweeping US sanctions bill targeting Russia

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bipartisan sanctions package aimed at pressuring Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine, sending the measure to President Donald Trump after a 262‑to‑159 vote. The legislation, originally championed by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, grants the president authority to levy tariffs of up to 100 percent on nations such as China and India that import Russian energy, thereby tightening the flow of funds to Moscow. It also targets Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers that sustain the country’s energy exports. The bill, which had already cleared the Senate, marks the first congressional action in more than two years expressly supporting Ukraine, and it was passed despite opposition from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who warned that the new tariff powers could be misused against U.S. allies.

The bill’s passage reflects intense diplomatic pressure from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who appealed directly to senators in the weeks leading up to the vote, and underscores a rare alignment of 58 Democrats with a Republican majority in a largely partisan environment. While the Democratic Party has broadly backed Ukraine, Jeffries criticized the legislation for containing “so many loopholes” that it may never result in effective sanctions relief, arguing that the language does not compel the president to act against Russia. Nonetheless, the measure’s supporters argue that the expanded tariff authority and sanctions on the shadow tanker fleet will cripple the financial channels that have enabled Russia to fund its war effort, especially by targeting countries that continue to purchase Russian energy.

In the aftermath, House Speaker Mike Johnson hailed the bill as a decisive step that “places maximum pressure on … the Russian war machine,” emphasizing that it signals American unity and equips the administration with comprehensive tools to end the conflict. A bipartisan news conference featuring members of both chambers celebrated the vote, with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, a co‑author of the bill, expressing hope that the sanctions will force President Vladimir Putin to negotiate and reaffirming that Ukraine “is not alone.” The legislation now awaits the president’s signature, and its implementation could reshape the geopolitical calculus surrounding Russian energy trade and U.S. relations with key energy‑importing nations.

⚡ Effects Interpreter