US Senator Blumenthal urges House to pass Russia sanctions bill amid 'moment of dire necessity'
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal has called on the US House of Representatives to approve a Senate-passed sanctions bill against Russia, saying the situation is urgent given Putin's economic troubles and possible escalation.
Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal urged the US House of Representatives, in an appearance on CBS News, to back a Russia sanctions bill already passed by the Senate with broad bipartisan support. He called it a "moment of dire necessity," citing both the risk that Putin could escalate the war and Russia's difficult economic position.
Blumenthal said the bill, which would restrict funding flows to Russia's war machine, could severely undermine Moscow's ability to continue the war in Ukraine.
What the bill would do
The Senate passed the bill, named the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026," by a wide bipartisan margin before leaving for its August recess. The initiative followed the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who had long championed such measures alongside Blumenthal. The legislation would allow the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas, excluding countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia while also taking steps to reduce that share.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, which is set to return this week after a five-week recess. Its prospects there remain uncertain, as some House Democrats have voiced concern about granting the president additional powers.
Defense of the bill and Russia's economic strain
Blumenthal described the legislation as the product of careful, at times painful negotiations with the US Trade Representative, the White House and lawmakers from both parties, noting it passed the Senate 86 to 11. He highlighted provisions expanding presidential authority to impose tough sanctions on oligarchs and financial institutions, target Russia's so-called shadow fleet, and apply tariffs strictly limited to the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.
According to Blumenthal, Russia's economy is approaching a serious crisis, facing a budget shortfall of roughly $125 billion — about 5% of GDP — while interest rates on government debt stand at 14%.
He expressed hope the bill would gain enough Democratic support to pass the House, adding that during a visit to Ukraine last week he urged President Zelensky to meet with members of Congress, as he had done in the Senate. On August 23, Zelensky met in Kyiv with senators Blumenthal and James Lankford. Earlier in August, the US had already imposed sanctions on several Russian defense ministry entities, two Russian companies and five Russian individuals.
