HOR Passes Russia Sanctions Bill to Target Buyers of Russian Goods

[ABS News Service/17.09.2026]

The House by a vote of 262 to 159 approved sanctions legislation this evening aimed at targeting sales of Russian oil, sending the measure on to the President for his signature.

It took many months and negotiations with the White House to craft a bill that President Trump would support.

A number of Congressional Democrats opposed the measure because it includes what they call a broadening of tariff authority for the President.

The bill directs the President to impose tariffs of up to 500 percent on all Russian goods and directs the President to increase the rate of duty to a rate greater than zero and up to 100 percent on all goods from countries that knowingly purchase crude oil or natural gas that originated in Russia on or after the date of enactment and on countries that were among the five largest importers of those products from Russia during the most recent 12-month period.

Tariffs

It also directs the President to increase the rate of duty to a rate greater than zero and up to 100 percent on all goods from countries that were among the top five countries facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion during the most recent 12-month period.

Additional countries may be added to the list of countries subject to these secondary sanctions upon reevaluation by the US Trade Representative every 180 days.

It also sanctions Russian officials, oligarchs, financial institutions, and the shadow fleet used to evade existing restrictions and extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 through 2031.

House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking Democrat Greg Meeks (NY) echoed Democrats concerns that the bill does not require Mr. Trump to impose sanctions on Russia, while giving him tariff powers that he can use against any country.

“I have said that I would have supported a version of this bill that forced Donald Trump to actually place more sanctions on Russia and prevented him from using fresh tariff authorities to go after our partners and allies,” he said. “It is regrettable that House Republicans and the Senate refused to engage and improve the bill, place more guardrails on its tariff authorities, or mandate sanctions in the bill to be implemented. What passed the House today will give President Trump sweeping new tariff authorities he can abuse, as he has done before, to bring yet more economic harm on the American people.”