Long-anticipated Russia sanctions legislation proposed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham is heading toward passage in the Senate. That doesn’t mean the road ahead will be easy, and it certainly won’t be quick.
The House won’t even be able to consider the legislation until representatives return to Washington in September, when concerns over a tariff provision in the bill could derail its passage. And it still faces hurdles in the Senate, where all 100 lawmakers need to strike a deal to rush consideration of amendments before they leave town.
The timing is crucial for Kyiv, which is looking to Washington to help curb Russia’s ability to continue waging its full-scale war while Ukraine has a window of advantage in the yearslong conflict. Moscow has struggled recently to make territorial gains on the battlefield, while Ukraine has launched a series of strikes deep into Russian territory.
“We have to continue to work to move it forward,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a Democratic co-sponsor of the bill, adding that she hoped senators could quickly strike an agreement on amendments to push through the legislation before the August recess.
