Today's House Vote: The Last Step Before the President's Desk
What you need to know about today's vote on the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, and how to help.
Will the House Send Russia Sanctions to the President's Desk Today?
Today, September 16, the U.S. House of Representatives holds its final vote on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. If the House approves it today, the strongest package of sanctions against Russia in years will go straight to the President's desk.
How We Got Here
August: The Senate passed the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act by a vote of 86 to 11. The Senate attached the bill's text to an existing House bill, H.R. 5334. Its House companion, H.R. 10076, is the version our campaign has supported for weeks.
September 15: The House Committee on Rules set the terms for the floor debate. That evening, the full House adopted the rule (H.Res. 1530) by just three votes, 214 to 211.
Today: The House votes on whether to agree to the Senate's version of H.R. 5334. If it passes, the bill does not return to the Senate. It goes directly to the President for signature.
Voices From Across the Spectrum
Support for the bill reaches across party lines and beyond Congress.
Speaking before the House Committee on Rules on September 15, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) urged his colleagues to act:
"If we do not pass this bill, there will be great joy in the Kremlin and great devastation in Kyiv."
He also reminded the committee that Congress last took positive action on Ukraine on April 20, 2024, more than two years ago.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul made a similar point: "The positive symbolism of it passing outweighs the negative symbolism of it failing. If it fails, Putin will cheer & Ukrainians will be disappointed."
Ukraine's Presidential Sanctions Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk, who traveled to Washington to meet with members of both parties, said he remains "quite optimistic about the level of support for this legislation."
Our Position
The American Ukraine Committee strongly supports the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act and urges every member of the House to vote YES today.
Some members of Congress have raised questions about the tariff provisions, so it is important to be precise. The bill gives the President an authority, not an obligation, and that authority has clear limits. It applies to a defined group of countries, the list is reviewed every 180 days, and countries that import less than 15% of Russia's natural gas exports and are actively reducing those imports are exempt. This is not a broad trade measure.
In our view, the real strength of these provisions is leverage. Countries that keep buying Russian energy or helping Moscow evade sanctions will have to weigh the real possibility of U.S. tariffs, and that alone can change their decisions before any tariff is applied.
We also believe the timing is decisive. The rule passed by just three votes, which shows how much each member's decision matters. If the bill does not pass today, the next opportunity may not come until after the midterm elections. As Rep. Hoyer put it, passing this bill would be "a marker": a clear statement of where the United States Congress stands.
Why It Matters
Sanctions are not only an economic tool. They save lives.
In a recent opinion piece for The Washington Post, Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk and Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad explain how energy revenue funds human rights abuses. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab found that Gazprom and Rosneft directly financed the relocation and indoctrination of more than 2,000 Ukrainian children. After sanctions waivers on Russian crude this spring, Russia's oil export revenue rose to $2.48 billion, its highest level since April 2022.
The authors also point to the partnership between Moscow and Tehran. With Iranian support, Russia now produces its own version of the Shahed drone and sometimes launches nearly 1,000 of them at Ukrainian cities in a single day. As they write: "No bill is perfect, but the cost of delay will be measured in human lives."
Quick Reminder on What the Bill Does
The legislation targets the money that keeps Russia's war machine running. It would:
Sanction Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, along with major Russian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Russia, Sberbank, and Gazprombank, as well as Russian state-owned companies.
Target Russia's support networks, including foreign entities that supply its defense industry, major Russian energy projects, and the shadow fleet that helps Moscow export oil despite sanctions.
Give the President the authority to impose tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods and up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas and five countries helping Moscow evade energy sanctions.
Extend long-standing sanctions on Iran's state-controlled energy sector, which are set to expire on December 31.
As always, thank you for reading up to this point!
And remember, if you need any additional materials, such as our report on this legislation, you should just email us at info@amukr.org.
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Sources
Oleksandra Matviichuk and Masih Alinejad, "Democrats, don't forget: These new sanctions could save lives," The Washington Post
Office of Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, "If We Do Not Pass this Bill, There Will be Great Joy in the Kremlin and Great Devastation in Kyiv," September 15, 2026
Abbey Fenbert, "US House advances Russia sanctions bill, paving way for final vote," The Kyiv Independent, September 16, 2026
Michael McFaul, post on X, September 15, 2026
H.R. 5334, Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, Congress.gov
H.Res. 1530, Congress.gov
House Floor Schedule, Office of the Clerk