The Lindsey Graham Sanctions Act: The Road to a Senate Vote

On July 14, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, the strongest Russia sanctions package ever brought before Congress.

The bill is the life's work of Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away suddenly on July 11, just one day after announcing that agreement had been reached with the White House to move the legislation forward.

Where the Bill Stands Today

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 was introduced on July 14 with more than 26 bipartisan co-sponsors, and a group of 62 senators has announced support for the effort. The text was finalized between senators and the White House before being unveiled. Senator Graham, traveling with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara to complete the compromise language, and the White House has signaled its support.

The Path to Passage, Step by Step

Step one: build the co-sponsor count

Majority Leader John Thune has said he is prepared to bring the bill to the floor when it has enough co-sponsors to guarantee passage. This is the explicit condition for scheduling a vote, and it is the step underway right now.

Step two: the procedural vehicle

On July 16, Senator Thune took procedural steps to place H.R. 2913 — House-passed legislation providing $1.3 billion in security assistance for Ukraine and expanding Russia sanctions on the Senate calendar. This House bill can serve as a legislative shell for the Graham-negotiated text, allowing the measure to begin moving through the Senate while leaders work out any remaining objections. This sets up a possible vote later in the July work period.

Step three: the floor vote

Under Senate rules, most legislation needs 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles and advance. Supporters believe the votes are there: Senator Blumenthal, the bill's lead Democratic co-sponsor, has said "I think we have the votes," and earlier versions attracted more than 80 supporters. Senator Schumer has predicted the bill "will pass overwhelmingly."

Step four: the House

The House passed a version of the original sanctions legislation earlier; because the Senate text has been substantially revised, the House will need to act on the updated bill. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, the House co-sponsor, has pledged to see the legislation across the finish line in Senator Graham's honor.

Step five: the President's signature

With the White House having agreed to the compromise text, the final step is enactment. At this point, under the bill's new self-executing structure, sanctions take effect without any further determination required.

The Timeline:
Why the Next Two Weeks Matter

The window is now. Thune's calendar move on July 16 sets up a possible vote later in the July work period, before the Senate's traditional August recess. If the vote slips past the recess, momentum built around Senator Graham's legacy could dissipate, and the fall calendar fills quickly with budget deadlines.

The battlefield context makes timing even more consequential. Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries have produced fuel shortages inside Russia, and its maritime drone campaign is dismantling the shadow fleet vessel by vessel. Enacting the bill now, with its shadow fleet regime, energy-sector sanctions, and tariffs of up to 100 percent on the largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas, would lock in that pressure through law at the moment it is having the greatest effect.

Why Writing to Your Senators
Works Right Now

The Majority Leader has stated the condition for a floor vote: enough co-sponsors to guarantee passage. Every senator who signs on as a co-sponsor moves the bill closer to the floor. Every constituent message asking a senator to co-sponsor and to support swift passage directly serves the stated threshold.

Constituent outreach matters most at exactly this stage of the process — after introduction, before floor scheduling, because this is when offices tally where their member stands and when undecided senators decide whether to add their names. A senator who hears from constituents that this vote matters is far more likely to co-sponsor, to press leadership for floor time, and to vote yes.

There is also no ambiguity to hide behind. The White House supports the text. Both parties' leaders have spoken favorably. The bill honors a colleague whose final week was spent completing it. What remains is for senators to hear, clearly and in numbers, that their constituents expect them to finish the work.

Take Action

Contact your U.S. Senators today. Ask them to co-sponsor the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 and to support a floor vote this month.