Congress is in session for one final week before leaving Capitol Hill until after the midterms, and Representative Michael McCaul (R-Tx) is racing to get the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act passed before time runs out.
The bill passed the Senate 86-11 in August, but during a House Rules Committee hearing this week, Rep. McCaul called on his colleagues to do the same. The bill would impose sanctions on Russian officials and institutions supporting its military efforts, target major purchasers and facilitators of Russian energy, and extend sanctions on Iran through 2031.
“It targets the money that fuels Russia’s war machine,” Rep. McCaul said. “It goes after Russian officials and oligarchs, banks and financial institutions, and the shadow fleet that helps keep cheap Russian energy moving.”
Russia has had military operations in Ukraine since 2014, and the issue of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was important to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who passed away in July.
“Senator Lindsey Graham understood these global threats well,” Rep. McCaul said. “That’s why he spent more than a year working on this legislation, which I promised him I would introduce in the House.”
Rep. McCaul also highlighted that the bill extends sanctions on Iran. Although the U.S. already has sanctions that restrict funding for Iran’s energy and weapons sectors, they will expire by the end of the year.
The two foreign powers and the threat each poses to U.S. national security are connected, Rep. McCaul said.
“In 2024, I spoke before this committee about Iranian drones being used by Russia to kill Ukrainians,” Rep. McCaul explained. “In return, Russia is reportedly providing targeting information to the Iranian IRGC.”
Beyond national security concerns, Rep. McCaul added that Congress has a “moral responsibility” to end the Russian military action against the Ukrainian people.
“You cannot look at what Russia has done to Ukraine and pretend these are ordinary business transactions with no connection to bloodshed,” he said. “This is a moral issue that requires moral courage.”
