Graham's Russian Sanctions Bill Would Give Trump New Tariff Powers

For the first time, Congress would authorize the use of tariffs as a geopolitical weapon under sweeping legislation aimed at squeezing's Russia's war economy that targets the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas that was introduced Monday in the Senate.

Twelve Senators of both parties called it the defining legislative legacy of the late Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), who died suddenly Saturday night after returning from a diplomatic trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and toured a military drone factory.

In addition to tariffs, the bill requires sanctions within 30 days of enactment against Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior political and military leaders, state-owned enterprises, financial institutions, energy projects, oligarchs, and foreign companies supporting Russia's defense industrial base.

The proposal faces opposition in the House. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the top Democrat on foreign policy, said the measure grants Trump excessive tariff authority, rather than mandating automatic sanctions against Russia.

"This is not so much a sanctions bill as it is a massive backdoor authority for President Trump to impose more tariffs, including on our European allies," Meeks said.

Trump Task Force Finds More Than $1B in Alleged Trade Fraud

In a related story, the Trump Administration said its trade fraud crackdown has aready reecovered more than $1 billion less than a year after it launched a task force focused on trade enforcement.