Lawmakers Aim to Finish Graham’s Final Mission: Russia Sanctions

“We think right now is the time to get this done because Putin’s lost momentum; he’s on his back foot,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Sen. Lindsey Graham

To Ukrainian officials, Lindsey Graham was an influential advocate who could carry their case directly to a president whose advisers and allies have been divided over continued support for the war. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo)

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s long-awaited Russia sanctions bill is nearing a decisive test in the wake of his death, with Senate negotiators finalizing a revised draft and beginning to lock down the votes needed to bring it to the floor.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Graham’s Democratic cosponsor, said Monday that bill text could be unveiled as soon as Tuesday and potentially receive a vote this week. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said supporters are briefing senators on changes to an earlier version of the bill that would substantially narrow its tariff and waiver provisions.

The developments suggest some momentum toward passage after more than a year of false starts. Graham announced just days before he died that he had secured President Donald Trump’s support.