The U.S. Senate approved a Russia sanctions bill on August 7, 2026, by a vote of 86 to 11, renaming the legislation in honor of Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in July 2026 after working to advance it in his final days.
The bill, now called the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, targets countries that buy Russian petroleum exports and allows steep new tariffs on large-scale importers of Russian energy, according to NPR and The Guardian. Its stated purpose is to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and to weaken the Russian economy.
Graham had championed the measure before his death, and The Guardian reported that his passing spurred the final legislative push that brought it to a vote.
The margin was bipartisan. Rand Paul, the Republican senator from Kentucky, cast the lone GOP vote against the bill. Ten Democrats also voted no, The Guardian said.
The legislation now moves to the House of Representatives.