Wilson, Hoyer, McCaul, Colleagues Introduce the ‘Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’

Washington, DC - Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul (R-TX), alongside bipartisan colleagues, introduced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.

This legislation - which honors the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who worked on the bill for more than a year and secured the White House's support - will hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia's war against Ukraine and extend sanctions that restrict funding for Iran's energy and weapons sectors.

"Senator Lindsey Graham and I shared the belief that opposing dictators in defense of freedom and liberty is always the right thing to do. War criminal Putin is losing his invasion of sovereign Ukraine and the threat to humanity posed by the Iranian regime is dire. It is time for Congress to give President Trump the strongest tools available to choke off Russia's war machine for the good of mankind and cripple the ability of Tehran to continue sowing chaos in the region and beyond. My friend and colleague worked tirelessly in championing these critical initiatives, and I am grateful to help advance them across the finish line in the House," said Rep. Wilson.

"Democracy is presently under threat from despotism, and Congress must act to defend democracy and help Ukraine defeat Vladimir Putin's effort to extinguish its liberty and sovereignty. Our legislation goes after multiple sources of Russian war funding, including its oil and gas sectors, shadow fleet, and financial institutions. I'm encouraged that the Senate passed the companion legislation last week with overwhelming support, and I thank former Chairman McCaul for partnering with me to facilitate action by the House. This action has been delayed too long and will, hopefully, accelerate Ukraine's success and the ending of this war, one that was initiated illegally by Putin and that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths of Russians and Ukrainians. I hope that we can secure bipartisan consensus in the House and enact a sanctions package that will stem the flow of money to Russia's war machine and contribute to a Ukrainian victory," said Rep. Hoyer.

"Senator Graham was a national security giant, a statesman of unmatched conviction, and a personal friend and mentor. We shared a fundamental worldview: America is strongest at home when it projects strength abroad. That's why he fought so hard for this bill, which I promised him months ago I would introduce in the House," said Rep. McCaul. "As President Zelensky told me last month when I visited Ukraine, he is ready for a ceasefire - ready to negotiate, as he has been for years. Putin, on the other hand, consistently defies President Trump and the international community by refusing to come to the table. I can think of no better way to honor Senator Graham's life and legacy than by passing these tough sanctions, which will help force Putin into negotiations and bring us closer to securing Lindsey's vision of enduring peace in two critical regions of the world."

Earlier this month, an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the Senate voted to pass companion legislation, by a vote of 86-11, led by Senators Darline Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch (R-ID). The text of the House bill is identical to the text that passed the Senate.

See bill here.

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