AxiosJul 29, 2026

86 senators vote to move forward with Graham Russia sanctions bill

In a massive show of bipartisanship, 86 senators voted to move forward with a Russia and Iran sanctions bill that had been championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Why it matters: The vote came hours after senators gathered to honor Graham's memory, and immediately following a closed-door meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The vote was 86-12. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Republican to vote against it. It is a procedural vote, but leadership hopes that the strong bipartisan support will allow for an expedited path to final passage. The details: The bill had been led by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and reached more than 60 co-sponsors this month. The legislation would impose 100% secondary tariffs on countries that continue buying Russian oil and gas. The bill also targets Russia's "shadow fleet" — the network of aging tankers used to evade Western sanctions while exporting Russian oil. It was also updated to renew sanctions on Iran set to

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