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WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, both R-ND, voted Friday, Aug. 7, to support legislation to hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.
The senators issued statements after the Senate voted 86-11 to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, legislation that was negotiated by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, who died July 11, and the White House. Hoeven and Cramer joined a bipartisan group of 60 Senate colleagues in backing introduction of the legislation earlier this month.
Graham had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the effort and secured an agreement with the White House on July 10. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Graham first introduced legislation to bring primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia's aggression in Ukraine in April 2025 and had spent the last year building support for the effort in Congress and with the Trump administration.
"Russia relies on oil and gas revenue to fund its war against Ukraine, and those enabling this aggression should be held accountable," Hoeven said. "This bipartisan legislation will strengthen sanctions to increase pressure on Russia, reduce the resources fueling Putin's aggression, and help advance peace. Lindsey dedicated tremendous effort to moving this legislation forward, and its passage in the Senate is a fitting tribute to his legacy."
Cramer said passage of the legislation unites Congress and the Trump administration in pursuit of escalating penalties against Russia's Vladimir Putin and Iran, whose malign cooperation enables Russia's war in Ukraine and the Iranian regime's terrorization of the globe.
"Vladimir Putin and the Iranian regime have spent decades testing the resolve of the free world, and too many times the free world has come up short in those tests -- but not today," Cramer said. "The Senate spoke with one voice alongside the Trump administration in support of stronger consequences for Russia and Iran, and others enabling their aggression on America and our allies."
The legislation imposes primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and its network of financial allies in its war against Ukraine. It targets Russia's "shadow fleet" of shell corporations and repurposed maritime infrastructure and extends to individuals including Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members and financial institutions. The legislation empowers the president to extend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 and strengthen sanctions on entities investing in Iran's energy sector.
The legislation also directs the presidentto impose up to 100% tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy most of the Russian oil and gas. This bill limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and gas.