On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives voted 214-211 to clear a procedural hurdle for the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The vote surprised Democratic leadership because two Democratic lawmakers crossed party lines to support the measure with Republicans. The bill would authorize President Donald Trump to place 100 percent tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, explicitly naming India and China as potential targets.
The legislation also extends existing sanctions on Iran. A day earlier, Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks objected to the bill because he argued it would give Trump broad tariff authority without meaningful checks. Last month, the Senate passed its own version of the bill 86-11, which targets Russia’s leadership, energy sector, and shadow fleet of tankers, and refers generally to the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas without naming them.
The House is expected to hold a final vote on the bill on Wednesday. Once passed, the measure must be reconciled with the Senate version before going to the President for a signature. However, final action could be delayed because the House plans to enter an early recess after Thursday and will not return until November 9 after the US midterm elections.