The Senate passed the late Lindsey Graham's Russia sanctions bill 86-11. Will Trump sign it into law before Sept 26?
60% of users predicted YES — the community got this one right. 15 predictions cast.
President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law on September 18, 2026, well ahead of the question's September 26 deadline. The bill, named for the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who championed the legislation before his death in July, had passed the Senate 86-11 and the House 262-159, margins reflecting rare bipartisan agreement in a divided Congress.
The law authorizes the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top purchasers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, targeting revenue Moscow uses to fund its war in Ukraine, and sanctions Vladimir Putin personally along with other Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers used to evade existing restrictions. It also renews expiring sanctions on Iran's energy and weapons sectors.
The legislation moved quickly through Congress once House leadership scheduled a vote, despite earlier uncertainty about its prospects, and Trump signed it within days of House passage rather than delaying action. Its passage fit a broader 2026 congressional push to tighten economic pressure on Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The community favored the bill being signed before the deadline (60% Yes), and the outcome confirmed that expectation well ahead of the cutoff.