The House has sent President Donald Trump a sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill, turning a measure framed as a weapon against Moscow into a test of how much tariff power Congress is willing to give the White House.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act passed 262-159, with support from 58 Democrats and opposition from seven Republicans. It would sanction Russian officials, oligarchs, banks and energy interests, extend penalties against Iran, and allow tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas. The bill also includes presidential waiver authority and exceptions for countries reducing their reliance on Russian energy.¹

Supporters present that flexibility as the legislation’s central strength. Republican Rep. Michael McCaul argued that “you can evade sanctions ... but you cannot evade tariffs,” calling tariffs “the teeth of this bill.”² From that perspective, the measure closes loopholes that have allowed Russian energy revenues to continue funding the war and gives Trump leverage to force President Vladimir Putin toward negotiations.

Democratic opponents accept the need to pressure Russia but reject the mechanism. Rep. Gregory Meeks and colleagues said the bill would “dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities,” raising prices while potentially undermining long-term support for Ukraine.¹ Rep. Richard Neal was more pointed, warning that the text provides “no guarantee” Trump could not use the tariffs against Ukraine itself.⁴

The conservative case is therefore focused on deterrence and presidential flexibility; the liberal case on enforcement, accountability and economic blowback. Even some Democrats who opposed the bill acknowledged the stakes for Ukraine, while moderates Jared Golden and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez helped advance it. The result is a sanctions package whose bipartisan label conceals a fundamental disagreement: whether concentrated executive power will sharpen pressure on Russia or turn the policy into another source of instability at home and abroad.