The law, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, also requires sanctions on Russian officials, defense contractors and shadow-fleet tankers; the House passed it 262-159 on Sept. 16.
The signing. Trump signed the Russia sanctions bill into law on Friday, Sept. 18, in the Oval Office.
The powers. The law lets him tax imports from countries that keep buying Russian oil at rates as high as 100% of an item's value — a doubling of its price at the border. It also requires sanctions (bans on doing business with named people or companies) on Russian leaders, on foreign firms working with Russia's defense industry, and on the aging tankers that move Russian crude outside Western insurance rules.
The votes. The Senate passed it earlier, 86 senators in favor. The House passed it 262-159 on Sept. 16 — 58 Democrats voting yes over their leadership's objection. The close one was the rule to bring it to the floor: it survived 214-211 a day earlier only because Democrats Jared Golden and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez voted yes after Republicans Andy Harris and Ralph Norman defected.
Where it stands. The tariffs are authorized, not imposed: nothing takes effect until Trump names a country and a rate, and the White House has not said whether he will while talks with Moscow continue.
Catch up
- Sept. 5–6 — The bill sat unsigned while the White House ran its own diplomacy: Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow, then Zelensky in Kyiv. Trump spoke with Putin by phone on Sept. 9 and again around Sept. 10.
- Sept. 15–16 — The rule to bring the bill up survived 214-211, then the House passed it 262-159; the Senate had approved it earlier.
- Friday, Sept. 18 — Trump signed it in the Oval Office.
Grouped columns comparing the two House votes on the Russia-tariff bill: the Sept. 15 rule to bring it to the floor passed 214 to 211, with Democrats Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez crossing over and Republicans Harris and Norman defecting; the bill itself passed Sept. 16, 262 to 159, with 58 Democrats voting yes over their leadership's objection.
The bill passed 262–159 — the rule that allowed the vote passed 214–211
House roll calls, Sept. 15–16 — two Democrats carried the rule after two Republicans defected; 58 Democrats then backed the bill over their leadership's objection.
The numbers
| House roll call | Yes | No | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule — Sept. 15 | 214 votes | 211 votes | Democrats Golden (Maine) and Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) crossed over; Republicans Harris (Md.) and Norman (S.C.) defected; a third GOP no (Burchett) was reported and disputed |
| Passage — Sept. 16 | 262 votes | 159 votes | 58 Democrats voted yes over their leadership's objection; Democratic leadership opposed; Jeffries voted no |
Roll call4 members named
Democrats who carried the rule2
- Jared Golden(D) Maine
- Marie Gluesenkamp Perez(D) Washington
Republicans who broke on the rule2
- Andy Harris(R) Maryland
- Ralph Norman(R) South Carolina