U.S. Sen. Katie Britt celebrated Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham sanctions bill Friday, calling the overwhelming bipartisan vote a tribute to her late friend and urging the House to act quickly.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 passed the Senate 86-11 and now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives. The final vote followed an 86-12 procedural vote last week that advanced the legislation.
“The Senate has a spine,” Britt (R-Montgomery) said on the Senate floor ahead of passage. “That’s exactly what we’re doing here today, is standing with a steel spine. We are standing against Putin’s aggression.”
Britt said the legislation would cut into the revenue funding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine while giving President Donald Trump additional economic tools to pressure Moscow toward negotiations.
“Today we send a message to Vladimir Putin, and we give President Trump the tools he needs to end this war,” she said.
The legislation imposes primary and secondary sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs, financial institutions and other actors supporting the war. It also gives the president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major purchasers of Russian oil and gas and countries facilitating sanctions evasion.
The measure would additionally extend the Iran Sanctions Act for five years, preserving sanctions authority targeting Iran’s energy and weapons sectors.
The White House has formally endorsed the legislation and said President Trump’s advisers would recommend he sign it if it reaches his desk.
Britt has helped lead the bipartisan effort to advance the legislation since Graham’s death in July. She joined more than 60 senators in backing the measure named for the longtime South Carolina senator, who had described sanctions against Russia as one of his highest remaining legislative priorities.
Following Friday’s vote, Britt said Graham’s presence could still be felt in the chamber.
“While Senator Lindsey Graham wasn’t physically present on the floor, you could feel him on there as votes kept coming in and in and in,” Britt said.
She recalled a conversation with Graham after the two attended the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, where Graham warned about the consequences when political leaders fail to confront aggression before it escalates.
“Today, we stood up tall for Senator Lindsey Graham, for freedom, for what the United States stands for, for the people of Ukraine and peace and prosperity across the globe,” Britt said.
She also praised Graham’s sister, U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to complete his term and helped carry the legislation forward after his death.
Britt is now urging House lawmakers to move quickly.
“I strongly urge my House colleagues to vote to send this peace through strength legislation straight to President Trump’s desk,” she said. “Russia is the weakest it has been since the start of the war, and now is the time to land this crippling blow.”
The House is scheduled to return from its August recess at the end of the month.
Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
