Bipartisan Group of 20 Reps Call for Russia Oil Sanctions as 18 Oct Date for Implementation Nears

[ABS News Service/16.10.2026]

A bipartisan group of over 20 House members, led by Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Jim Costa (D-Calif) is calling on President Trump to implement the Russia sanctions legislation he signed last month.

The law’s implementation date is October 18.

In a letter, the lawmakers urged Mr. Trump to use the full force of the sanctions and tariff authorities the new law provides.

They also called on the President to reverse his decision to authorize the purchase of Russian diesel and to revoke the licenses that have been issued.

Implementation of the sanctions will be crucial to bringing Russian President Putin to the bargaining table to discuss peace talks with Ukraine, the lawmakers said.

“Timely and complete execution of the first round of mandatory sanctions will deter Russia’s increasing attacks on Ukrainian civilians and their livelihoods,” they wrote.

“We therefore urge the Administration to apply the Graham law’s sanctions to their fullest extent and without delay. Designations should reach the officials, oligarchs, banks, and state enterprises directing and financing the war, as well as the foreign banks, shadow fleet operators, and intermediaries that help Russia evade restrictions.”

The lawmakers also urged the President to use the tariff authority provided under the law. “Tariff rates should serve as leverage to secure verifiable commitments to reduce purchases of Russian energy, easing as reductions are demonstrated.”

Questions

The lawmakers said they want answers to the following questions:

· What actions will the Administration complete by October 18 to demonstrate that the law’s mandatory sanctions, secondary tariffs, and prohibitions are being fully implemented, and will any provision be delayed or waived?

· Which Russian officials, oligarchs, banks, and state enterprises will be designated by October 18, and will these designations extend to the foreign banks, shadow fleet operators, and intermediaries that help Russia evade sanctions?

· Which countries will be subject to secondary tariffs by October 18? What trade and maritime data was used to identify them, and how will the exceptions and rate adjustments be applied to allies reducing their purchases of Russian energy?

· What benchmarks will the Administration use to demonstrate to Congress and the American people that these measures are increasing pressure on Putin, such as reductions in Russia’s energy revenue and in third-country purchases of Russian oil and gas?

· How does the Administration reconcile General License 135 with the existing statutory ban on Russian energy imports, and what impact does it expect the license to have on Russia's energy revenues?

Also signing the letter were Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn), Danny Davis (D-Ill), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Steny Hoyer (D-Md), John Mannion (D-NY), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash), Mike Quigley (D-Ill), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Dina Titus (D-Nev), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) and Joe Wilson (R-SC).