The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved a sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a posthumous legislative victory weeks after his sudden death.

Senators voted 86-11 on Friday to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sending to the House a bill that would let the Trump administration impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas by volume. The legislation also renews sanctions on Iran's energy and weapons sectors that are set to expire at the end of this year. The lopsided tally reflected rare bipartisan agreement on a foreign-policy measure that had cleared a major procedural hurdle just days earlier, hours after Graham's funeral at Washington National Cathedral.

Graham, the South Carolina Republican who spent years championing punishing sanctions against Moscow, died on July 11 at age 71 at his Capitol Hill home. Preliminary findings pointed to an aortic dissection as the cause. He had announced just a day earlier that he had reached an agreement with the White House to move forward with the bill, vowing the legislation would "become law" and saying he had "never been more optimistic" about the Ukraine war drawing to an end.

That final act of dealmaking gave the bill the momentum it needed. And on Friday, the Senate delivered.

Graham's sister carried the bill across the finish line

Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, the late senator's sister, was given the honor of announcing the final vote tally from the Senate floor. She had been appointed to fill Graham's seat after his death, and she took up his cause with force.

Ahead of the vote, she called for "a show of strength" and urged colleagues to continue America's tradition "as a beacon of hope to the free world."

In remarks on the floor, Nordone pressed the chamber directly:

"Each member of this body must also make a choice, whether we have the courage to stand up to evil, or continue on with the status quo."

Her presence on the floor, a sister finishing a brother's work, gave the vote a weight that went beyond procedural routine. Graham had spent his last Friday alive in Kyiv, where he announced he had secured President Trump's backing for the sanctions package. He returned home and was dead within days.

The Pentagon has already moved to rename Joint Base Charleston after the late senator, a sign of how quickly his legacy has taken institutional shape.

Tariffs target Russia's oil revenue and the countries bankrolling it

The bill's central mechanism is economic. It authorizes the Trump administration to impose targeted tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas by volume, a provision aimed squarely at countries like China and India that have continued purchasing Russian energy despite Western pressure. Fox News reported the legislation also includes tariffs of up to 500% on Russian imports directly, broadening the economic pressure on Moscow.

The logic is straightforward: Russia funds its four-year-long war against Ukraine largely through oil and gas revenue. Cut the buyers, and you cut the money.

The bill also extends existing sanctions against Iran's energy and weapons sectors, renewing restrictions that would otherwise lapse after this year. Bundling Iran into the package broadened the bill's appeal across party lines and reinforced the strategic link between two adversaries that have deepened military cooperation in recent years.

Graham's death had created political uncertainty in the Senate Republican conference. His absence, combined with other factors, had left Republicans scrambling on several legislative fronts. But on this bill, the coalition held.

Blumenthal invoked Graham's memory on the floor

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the Connecticut Democrat who co-sponsored the legislation, delivered a pointed message to Moscow during floor debate. He framed the bill as both a strategic instrument and a tribute to his late colleague across the aisle.

Blumenthal told the Senate:

"Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine, and Putin is watching from Moscow. I would like to think that Lindsey Graham is watching, too. Today we say to the people of Ukraine: You are not alone. And today we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine."

In earlier remarks, Blumenthal had been more direct about the bill's intended effect on Russian calculations:

"This bill says to Vladimir Putin, 'Your days of war are numbered. You are on the losing side. Better to come to the table now than sacrifice more lives, waste more money, crater your economy, destroy your standing in the world. America stands with Ukraine.'"

The bill did not pass without friction. Sens. Rand Paul and Raphael Warnock raised last-minute objections during the procedural phase. Warnock, the Georgia Democrat, argued that lawmakers should not "have to choose between putting a check on Putin's aggression and putting a check on this president's tariff regime", a complaint that found little traction in a chamber that voted 86-11 in favor.

Zelenskyy lobbied lawmakers hours after Graham's funeral

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally lobbied senators for the bill in the hours after Graham's memorial service in Washington, according to Fox News. Ukraine's battlefield position has strengthened in recent months, and Kyiv's allies in Congress saw the sanctions package as a way to press the advantage at the negotiating table.

Daniel Balson of Razom, a New York-based pro-Ukraine advocacy group, said the vote reflected both the urgency of the moment and the depth of Graham's commitment.

"The strong bipartisan support for this bill is a fitting tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, who devoted years to supporting Ukraine as it bravely resisted Putin's war machine. We are glad to see senators from both parties ready to take up the torch in the fight for freedom and democracy."

Balson also directed a message at Moscow:

"Putin should be under no illusion: the longer he continues his illegal war, the higher the cost he will face. We thank President Trump for publicly backing this legislation. Ukraine's many supporters across the country now expect Congress to finish the job and make this bill law."

Trump's public support for the bill was a decisive factor. Graham had secured the White House's agreement the day before he died, and the administration's backing held through the procedural fights and floor vote. The bill now grants the president broad authority to impose the tariffs at his discretion, a structure designed to give the executive branch flexibility in negotiations with Moscow.

Graham's appointment of his sister to continue his work, and Trump's backing of Nordone for the South Carolina seat, ensured the bill had a champion on the floor who carried both political authority and personal conviction.

Now the House has to finish the job

The bill heads to the House, which is expected to take up the legislation when members return from summer break on Aug. 31. Balson urged the lower chamber to act quickly.

"Ukraine's battlefield successes have injected new urgency into Congress, while Putin's relentless attacks on civilians have hardened its resolve. The House must now meet the moment by passing this bill and sending it to President Trump's desk for signature."

Whether the House moves with the same speed and bipartisan margin remains an open question. But the Senate has done its part, and done it in a fashion that would have satisfied the man whose name is on the bill.

An 86-11 vote is the kind of result that happens when a cause is right, the timing is urgent, and the man who spent years building the coalition isn't around to see it. Lindsey Graham got the policy he wanted. Congress owes it to him, and to the people of Ukraine, to finish what he started.