Senate Pushes Russia Sanctions Bill as Tribute to Late Lindsey Graham

Russia sanctions Bill Gains Bipartisan Momentum

Senators from both aisles are coalescing around a revamped Russia sanctions package to memorialize the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R‑SC). The effort, now backed by ↑ 85 cosponsors, is framed as a rare flash of unity in a divided chamber. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R‑SD) called the measure a fitting homage, while Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D‑NY) urged an immediate floor vote, saying it would “pass overwhelmingly and aid our Ukrainian allies.”

“This is a bipartisan way to honor a man who fought to the very end,”

Sen. Cory Booker (D‑NJ) said. At the state level, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to finish the term, with her swearing‑in slated for 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R‑WI) is poised to inherit the Budget Committee chairmanship. Potential contenders are already lining up for the 2026 full‑term race. The original draft featured tariffs as steep as ↓ 500% on nations, including China, that continued buying Russian energy; the revised text narrows those penalties. Earlier, Graham, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D‑CT) and colleagues claimed to have settled administration concerns in Ankara, a claim later echoed in a joint statement with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The House cleared the initial sanctions bill, but leaders now argue for a renamed “Lindsey Graham Sanctions Act” to cripple Putin’s oligarchic network. Reuters and Bloomberg have tracked the legislative shuffle. Correction: An earlier dispatch misstated the swearing‑in time for Darline Graham Nordone.

Intel provided by: Eleanor Cross

Chief Washington Correspondent