[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 22, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4210-S4211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Sanctioning Russia Act

  Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, Lindsey Graham, a friend, a colleague, 
and a tireless national security advocate. He was a true leader in 
strengthening our military and our country's defense, and I miss him 
dearly. I am so pleased that his sister Darline now serves here in this 
institution. She is carrying on his legacy and honoring his commitment 
to the people of South Carolina and to this country.
  So I rise here today to, yes, pay tribute to Lindsey Graham, but to 
also call on my colleagues to help us carry on one of his greatest 
efforts: ending Putin's barbaric and unjust war against sovereign 
Ukraine.
  For more than 4 years, the Ukrainian people have shown extraordinary 
resilience and resolve. They have defended their homeland with courage 
that has inspired the world.
  In 2022, Putin thought he could seize eastern Ukraine in days. He 
thought he

[[Page S4211]]

could drag Europe back into the dark shadow of the Soviet Union. He 
thought that he would be feared and respected.
  But he is neither strong nor powerful; he is a war criminal.
  Putin has made clear his intentions to push beyond Ukraine and into 
NATO territory. Russian drones have encroached on Polish, Finnish, 
Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, and Romanian airspace. These were 
deliberate--deliberate--provocations to test NATO's resolve.
  Putin seeks to push deeper into Europe to see just how far he can go 
before we push back. That is why the United States and our allies must 
raise the stakes through tougher sanctions and a stronger United 
States' deterrence posture along NATO's eastern flank.
  I commend the Polish and Dutch, German, and the Italian Armed Forces 
for their swift and also their professional response in intercepting 
drones that could have killed innocent civilians during these 
incursions. Their actions remind us that NATO's strength lies in that 
unity and readiness.
  President Trump has made clear that Europe must carry more of the 
burden for its own security. Poland, in particular, has answered that 
call, committing 5 percent of its GDP to defense. Other allies are 
stepping up as well.
  This is the path forward, a stronger more capable NATO prepared to 
deter but also to defeat any threat. But make no mistake on this: Putin 
understands only one language, and that is power. The surest road to 
peace in Europe lies in NATO's strength and Ukraine's survival.
  Yet, strength must also be economic. The Kremlin's war machine runs 
on money it makes from selling cheap oil and gas to countries like 
China and India and Brazil. Those nations, well, then they profit by 
turning around and reselling Russian energy at a markup, and that must 
end.
  It is long overdue for the financial enablers of Russia's atrocities 
to pay a price. They cannot keep fueling Putin's war and expect 
business as usual with us, with the United States.
  That is why Congress must pass the Sanctioning Russia Act. This 
legislation would impose mandatory sanctions on Russia's political 
leadership, financial institutions, energy sector, and sanctions 
evasion networks. By employing targeted tariffs, this policy would 
pressure the world's largest purchasers of Russian energy to reduce 
their dependence on Moscow.
  This gives the President maximum flexibility to enforce these 
measures, ensuring both legal strength and political durability.
  I am grateful to Senator Blumenthal who worked closely with Lindsey 
on this important bipartisan legislation, and I am encouraged to see 
him carry this effort forward.
  I was proud to be an early supporter of the bill, and I am proud to 
support this updated version now. The Sanctioning Russia Act is the 
sledgehammer that we need, decisive economic pressure that cripples 
Putin's lifeline, and it hastens the day that his war with Ukraine is 
finally going to end.
  Peace will not come from weakness or hesitation; it will come from 
strength--military, economic, and moral strength, welded together by 
the free nations of the world.
  So I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join our broad 
coalition in supporting this bill. Let us carry on Lindsey's mission. 
Let us stand up to evil. Let us bring freedom and security to the 
people of Ukraine.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from North Dakota.