Senators Push for New Russia Sanctions Bill in Honor of Lindsey Graham

Republican and Democratic senators are lending the totality of their legislative might to passing a new bill aimed at sanctioning Russian assets and officials in the wake of Senator Lindsey Graham’s death. Graham had been working on the bipartisan bill for years and finally came to an agreement with the White House last week shortly before he died. Graham was arguably the most vocal Russia hawk not just in his party, but on Capitol Hill. As the GOP has shifted in an increasingly isolationist direction, Graham was unwilling to adapt for political purposes, instead doubling down on his views and pressing President Trump to stand with the Ukrainians. Speaking to reporters in Ukraine on Friday, Mr. Graham said he and other senators had “reached an agreement with the White House on a version of the Russian sanctions bill that they will support. It means it’s going to become law,” he said.After his death on Saturday night — just hours after he had returned from Ukraine — Democrats and Republicans agreed that it was time to move the bill forward in honor of their departed colleague. Less than 48 hours after Graham’s untimely death, senators offered details on what the new sanctions package will look like. “I’m gonna begin by channeling my inner Lindsey Graham to say this is a big effin’ deal,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, Graham’s Democratic co-sponsor on the bill, said at a press conference Tuesday. He was joined by a dozen other senators at his press conference, ranging from an archconservative lawmaker, Senator Marsha Blackburn, to a New England liberal, Senator Sheldon White House. The top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator Roger Wicker, then took the podium together. “This is Lindsey Graham’s greatest achievement,” Mr. Wicker, who was elected to the House in 1994 alongside Graham, declared. “When it comes to saving lives, when it comes to ensuring peace for Europe … this is a seminal achievement.”While the bill itself has not officially been introduced, Mr. Blumenthal says it will include many of the aspects of the original piece of legislation that he and Graham unveiled last year. At the heart of the bill is the establishment of new sanctions powers that the president can use to punish Russian oligarchs and those in other countries who purchase Russian exports. There would be additional tariffs imposed on those countries which are helping prop up the Russian economy by purchasing goods like natural gas, oil, and munitions. “Sanctions will be a decisive factor in this war,” Mr. Blumenthal said. “It is truly a tribute to Senator Graham that we are at this point.” The original bill has more than 80 co-sponsors in the Senate, giving lawmakers hope that — in honor of Graham — the legislation will be able to move quickly across the floor. That would require what is known as a time agreement between Democrats and Republicans, however, pertaining to debate rules and possibly amendments. The majority leader, Senator John Thune, told reporters Monday that he hopes that agreement can be made shortly. “The current version is one that I think we’re trying to get some feedback from our members on, and obviously to find out what the capacity of Democrats is to deliver votes for that,” Mr. Thune said. “I’d love to get it done. It’s something we’ve been interested in for a long time, and it would be a great legacy, great tribute to Lindsey.”

Senators Push for New Russia Sanctions Bill in Honor of Lindsey Graham

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