House passes Russia sanctions bill, overcoming Democratic opposition
The bill was championed by GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, who suddenly died after announcing a deal had been reached with the White House to move forward.
Updated on: September 16, 2026 / 8:16 PM EDT / CBS News
Washington — A sweeping Russia sanctions bill overcame opposition in the House on Wednesday, after many Democrats expressed concern that it would expand President Trump's tariff authorities.
The House passed the bill in a 262 to 159 vote on the final day that the lower chamber is in session before lawmakers leave Washington until after Election Day. Some 58 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while seven Republicans voted in opposition.
The Senate passed the legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support in August after more than a year of negotiations that were spearheaded by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. It now heads to Mr. Trump's desk.
"This bill sends a powerful message of American unity and gives the administration every tool in the toolbox to help bring this war to a just end, and we are proud to send it to the president's desk," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after its passage.
The effort to penalize top Russian figures and the biggest buyers of Russian oil over the war in Ukraine gained fresh momentum after Graham's sudden death in July. Graham died shortly after returning from a trip to Kyiv and announcing that a deal had been reached with the White House to move forward on an updated version of the legislation.