House Democrats Debate Russia Sanctions Bill over Tariff Authority

A Russia sanctions bill, previously passed by the Senate, faces challenges in the House due to concerns over giving President Donald Trump more tariff authority. Supporters argue that stronger economic pressure could push Moscow to negotiate.

House Democrats face a choice: grant Trump more tariff power or potentially block Congress from taking action against Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine. The House Rules Committee has set up votes for several bills, including this one targeting Russia and Iran.

The bill is named in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key supporter of Ukraine, who passed away at 71. While most Democrats back efforts to aid Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, the language in the bill expands Trump’s ability to impose tariffs, which has raised reservations.

“House Democrats are rock solid in our support for Ukraine, but the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia And Iran Act would do more harm than good,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, Rep. Richard Neal, and Rep. Don Beyer in a joint statement.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated in a press conference, “We’re going to continue to stand by the Ukrainian people and find a path forward to get a sanctions bill done while addressing the very real concerns that [Democrats] have raised about giving Donald Trump authority that the Supreme Court recently made clear he does not currently have, and should not have, because it belongs to the Congress.”

The bill proposes increasing tariffs up to 500% on Russia and 100% on countries buying Russian energy. It would also direct significant sanctions on Russian officials responsible for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

If passed, the full House will vote on the sanctions bill on Wednesday, following a “rule vote.” With isolationist tendencies within the House GOP, Democrat votes could be pivotal for passage.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a proponent of the bill, noted, “If Donald Trump wants to break this law, he will be restrained by the courts, just as when he broke the law on tariffs previously.” Senate Democrats largely supported giving Trump limited tariff authority in exchange for severe sanctions against Russia.

This effort comes after Sen. Raphael Warnock secured assurances limiting the tariffs to the top five energy partners with the Kremlin. Elizabeth Elkind, reporting for Fox News Digital, provides continuing coverage of the House discussions.