{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-cosponsors-legislation-to-hold-purchasers-of-russian-oil-accountable", "Curtis Cosponsors Legislation to Hold Purchasers of Russian Oil Accountable", "2026-07-17", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John R. Curtis", "C001114", "www.curtis.senate.gov", "curtis", "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT), member of the Foreign Relations Committee, cosponsored the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation to hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine. Originally championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the bill is led by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Darline Graham (R-SC) and is supported by more than 60 other senators.\n\n\u201cAs long as Vladimir Putin\u2019s war machine is funded by countries willing to buy Russian oil and gas, the war in Ukraine will continue,\u201dsaid Senator Curtis. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation gives a powerful tool to increase pressure on Russia, hold its enablers accountable, and ensure Russia does not win this war.\u201d\n\n\u201cUkraine is at a critical crossroads\u2014and we must meet this pivotal moment with a powerful sanctions bill. As Ukraine turns the tide on the battlefield, our Russia sanctions bill would be historically impactful in stopping Russia\u2019s murderous slaughter,\u201d said Senator Blumenthal. \u201cWhen Senator Graham and I last spoke, he was absolutely exultant, calling from Kyiv with news that President Trump would support this bill to impose scorching tariffs and sanctions on purchasers of Russian oil and stop them from fueling Putin\u2019s war machine. Now is the time to push Russia toward peace. Ukraine is gaining net territory and reaching deep into Russia with its drones and missiles. Sanctions provide a path toward peace. Our bill is the product of lengthy, detailed, difficult bipartisan work, and now has broad bipartisan support. Passing this legislation right now would be a fitting tribute to Senator Graham\u2019s fierce support for Ukraine\u2019s freedom.\u201d\n\n\u201cUntil the very day he passed, Lindsey remained focused on passing the Russia sanctions bill. Passing this legislation would honor my brother\u2019s steadfast commitment to our national security, and it would provide President Trump with additional leverage to bring this war to an end. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation and send it to President Trump\u2019s desk,\u201d said Senator Darline Graham.\n\nBackground:\n\nSenator Lindsey Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the effort last week and secured an agreement with the White House on Friday, before his death. Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham first introduced legislation in April 2025\u2014cosponsored by Curtis\u2014to bring primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia\u2019s aggression in Ukraine.\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 targets Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet. The legislation also directs the President to impose up to 100 percent tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the majority of Russian oil and gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. The new text limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and gas.\n\nA one-pager on the legislation is available here, and the bill text is available here.", 1, "2026-07-18T06:58:50Z", "2026-07-18T07:00:34Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-cosponsors-legislation-to-hold-purchasers-of-russian-oil-accountable"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0142892133444548, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}