US Congress Passes Bill Expanding Trump’s Power to Sanction Russia, Iran

The US Congress has passed a sweeping bill that would give President Donald Trump expanded authority to raise tariffs on major buyers of Russian energy and to impose additional sanctions on the Kremlin, according to The Guardian.

The measure, titled the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, was approved in a 262-159 vote, coming on the last day before Congress adjourned for recess ahead of the midterm elections, the report said.

The bill is named after Senator Lindsey Graham, who co-authored and submitted the legislation more than a year and a half ago and died earlier this year, according to The Guardian.

The vote followed what the report described as a pitched battle between lawmakers who support Ukraine and those who backed the bill's aims but expressed concern that it grants the president too much unilateral power.

The legislation divided both Democrats and Republicans, with some lawmakers warning that the broad authority it confers on the executive branch could ultimately be used against US allies rather than solely against Russia, the report said.

The bill would allow Trump to impose punishing sanctions on the Kremlin and to raise tariffs on countries that are top purchasers of Russian energy, according to The Guardian. Further details on the bill's provisions, its path through the Senate, and reactions from the White House were not immediately available in the source material.