President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed a long-stalled bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Russia and foreign nations that buy its discounted energy exports, but the measure's path forward in Congress remains murky, the New York Post reported Thursday.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Wednesday after a White House meeting that Trump "greenlit" the legislation he has been working on for months with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and dozens of other senators, a development Graham called critical to pressuring Moscow over its nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
A White House official confirmed Trump's support for the proposal, the Post reported, which would levy steep tariffs on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and other energy products, giving Washington leverage to influence nations such as China, India, and Brazil.
Despite broad bipartisan backing — with more than 80 Senate co-sponsors — the bill has languished in both chambers, as lawmakers focus on government funding deadlines and other priorities.
Several House Republicans, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, have expressed frustration at the delay and are considering a discharge petition to force a floor vote, according to the Post.
"At this point, I'm growing very frustrated," Fitzpatrick said, urging action to "strangle their economy" and push Russia to negotiate an end to the war.
Complicating the legislative calculus, some Democrats remain uneasy about punitive tariffs, and lawmakers dispute procedural questions over whether revenue-related provisions must originate in the House, adding to the impasse.
Republican leaders — including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota — have yet to schedule votes, with both chambers racing to complete annual appropriations bills before a looming Jan. 30 government funding deadline.
The sanctions measure — part of the broader Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 introduced last year — would give Trump expanded authority to impose tariffs and other economic penalties on Russia and nations that enable its war machine through energy purchases.
White House allies argue the bill strengthens U.S. leverage over Russia, while critics warn that aggressive tariffs could complicate diplomatic engagement and global economic relations. The Kremlin has condemned the proposal as escalatory.
With no vote yet scheduled, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they are watching for movement as tensions over the Ukraine war persist and global energy markets remain volatile.
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