--- title: "Sanctions Against Russia Stuck in the US Congress: Business and Some Republicans Fear Trump's Tariffs and High Gasoline Prices" description: "A sanctions bill against Russia, passed by the US Senate, is stuck in the House of Representatives due to concerns over Trump's tariff powers and rising oil prices. A vote is unlikely to take place before the November 3 elections." date: 2026-09-04T01:52:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sanctions-against-russia-stuck-in-us-congress tags: [us-sanctions-russia, congress-usa, trump-tariffs, ukraine-russia, oil-prices] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Sanctions Against Russia Stuck in the US Congress: Business and Some Republicans Fear Trump's Tariffs and High Gasoline Prices ![Man holding US and Ukrainian flags in front of the Capitol dome where Russia sanctions are debated](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/04/sanktsii-protiv-rossii-tormozyatsya-v-kongrese-ssha/sanktsii-protiv-rossii-tormozyatsya-v-kongrese-ssha-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The US Senate passed a sanctions bill against Russia by a vote of 86 to 11, but it is stalling in the House of Representatives. - Business and some lawmakers are opposing the document due to the risk of expanding Trump's tariff powers and rising oil and gasoline prices. - Speaker Mike Johnson stated that a vote in the House of Representatives is unlikely to take place before the November 3 elections. A bill aimed at intensifying sanctions pressure on Russia, after a triumphant passage through the US Senate, has hit an unexpected wall in the House of Representatives. The document, initiated by Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away in July, was passed by the upper chamber by a vote of 86 to 11 — largely as a tribute to its author. However, in the lower chamber, the mood has been far cooler, and, according to estimates from those involved in the process, consideration of the text will stall at least until the November elections. Against this backdrop, on August 31, Senator Richard Blumenthal publicly called on the House of Representatives to adopt the sanctions "immediately," describing the current moment as "extremely urgent." ### What Exactly the Document Proposes The essence of the bill is to provide US President Donald Trump with a tool for imposing 100-percent tariffs against the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, as well as five countries that, in the authors' view, are most actively helping Moscow circumvent existing restrictions. Among the major importers effectively targeted by the mechanism are China, India, and Turkey. Thus, the impact could extend not only to direct suppliers but to entire economies dependent on Russian energy products, which is what is raising concerns among trade lobbies. ### Why the House of Representatives Is Stalling The document is opposed by both the influential US Chamber of Commerce and retail representatives, as well as a group of lawmakers from both parties. Retail chains and business associations fear that the law would effectively give the president a new legal basis for large-scale tariffs that go far beyond the original anti-Russian logic. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated outright that a vote on the text is "unlikely" to take place before the November 3 elections: leading Democrats on the relevant committees and a significant group of Republicans are against it. The risk to gasoline prices is also being discussed separately: if the law forces India and other buyers to switch to alternative sources of oil, prices could rise even further — and they have, according to participants in the discussion, already spiked following the conflict with Iran. ### Arguments on Both Sides Democrats emphasize the risk of expanding presidential powers. "I am not ready to give any president, and especially this one, more unlimited tariff powers," said Democratic Congressman Brad Schneider. Proponents of expedited passage of the document, led by Senator Blumenthal, insist on the opposite: the Russian economy, in his words, is "already on the verge of a serious crisis," and delay deprives the sanctions of their main effect — timely pressure on Moscow's budget. ### Contradictory Data Here there are two notable discrepancies in assessments. First, on the degree of urgency: Senator Blumenthal on August 31 called the moment "extremely urgent" and demanded an immediate vote, whereas Speaker Johnson has effectively pushed the discussion beyond November — that is, into the election period. Second, on the very nature of the document: for the Senate, it was primarily a sanctions and memorial (in honor of Graham) act, passed by an overwhelming majority of 86 to 11, while for the House of Representatives and business it is perceived as a potential tool for expanding the president's tariff powers, with direct consequences for energy prices. It is precisely this difference in the interpretation of the same text that explains why a document that easily passed the upper chamber is stuck in the lower one. ### Context: Strikes on Kyiv Oblast The discussion in Congress is unfolding against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities. On the evening of August 28, Russian forces carried out a drone strike on warehouses in the Bucha district of Kyiv Oblast: the fire was accompanied by explosions and the detonation of ammunition. Ukraine's Security Service opened a criminal case over the strike and detonation, and the investigation is reportedly being conducted under the article on dereliction of duty. This episode strengthens the arguments of proponents of expedited sanctions pressure, although it does not change the procedural obstacles in the House of Representatives. Bottom line: the bill, intended to intensify economic pressure on Russia, has become a hostage to domestic political contradictions in the US. While the Senate voted largely out of memory for its author, the House of Representatives is weighing every step in terms of tariffs, oil prices, and the electoral cycle. There is a high probability that the document will wait until the results of the November 3 elections, which means that the window for "urgent" sanctions, as Blumenthal put it, is in effect closing. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Sanctions Against Russia Stalled in Congress Over Fear of Expensive Gasoline](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/sanktsiyi-proti-rosiyi-galmuyutsya-kongresi-1788485414.html) - Подтверждает сталлинг в Палате представителей и аргумент о ценах на бензин/нефть. - [Bloomberg: US Uncertain Whether New Sanctions Against Russia Will Be Considered Before November](https://news.rambler.ru/world/57011541-bloomberg-v-ssha-ne-uvereny-chto-novye-sanktsii-protiv-rf-rassmotryat-do-noyabrya/) - Подтверждает, что рассмотрение, вероятно, отодвинуется до ноября. - [US Congress Names Deadline for Considering Sanctions Against Russia](https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6a98d86c9a7947457469489a) - Согласуется с заявлением спикера Джонсона о сроках до выборов 3 ноября. - [US Senator Refuses to Promise Ukraine New Sanctions Against Russia](https://www.rbc.ru/politics/27/08/2026/6a8f28790bc0abe15a79dff4) - Согласуется с заявлением спикера Джонсона о сроках до выборов 3 ноября. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: By what vote did the US Senate pass the sanctions bill against Russia? **A:** The Senate passed the document by a vote of 86 to 11, largely as a tribute to its author — Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away in July. ### Q: When, according to the Speaker, could a vote in the House of Representatives take place? **A:** Speaker Mike Johnson stated that a vote is "unlikely" to take place before the November 3 elections. ### Q: Which countries could be subject to 100-percent tariffs? **A:** The five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas (including China, India, and Turkey), as well as five countries helping Russia circumvent sanctions. ### Q: Who is the author of the bill? **A:** The author is Senator Lindsey Graham, who, according to sources, suddenly passed away in July.