{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2026/07/29/chairman-wicker-speaks-in-support-of-sen-grahams-russia-iran-sanctions-bill/", "Chairman Wicker Speaks in Support of Sen. Graham\u2019s Russia-Iran Sanctions Bill", "2026-07-29", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today spoke on the Senate floor in support of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. During his remarks, Senator Wicker honored Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who worked tirelessly to advance freedom and weaken dictators. Senator Wicker urged his colleagues to continue that work by voting to pass this legislation.\n\n\u201cThe Lindsey Graham sanctions bill will advance the cause of freedom, and it will combat Vladimir Putin\u2019s war machine,\u201d said Senator Wicker \u201cIt will go after Vladimir Putin, his inner circle, and the shadow fleet they use to evade sanctions.\u201d\n\nRead the full speech below, as delivered:\n\nA number of us gathered today, as we\u2019ve already heard, at the National Cathedral for Senator Lindsey Graham\u2019s funeral, and in a few moments we will vote to advance a bill that Lindsey Graham made possible.\n\nDuring the past few days, we have heard a number of stories about Lindsey Graham\u2019s many idiosyncrasies. His endless energy, he\u2019s been called the \u201cenergizer bunny,\u201d his quotable jokes, his non-quotable quips, his one-of-a-kind personality. We also remember his steadfast love for freedom and his intolerance for tyrants.\n\nThe bill that we will vote on in a few moments reflects those aspects of his personality. I have suggested that it is his greatest political achievement.\n\nIt took a senator like Lindsey Graham to bring this bill so far\u2014in this environment, with these stakes. He brought together so many parties. It seems he did this almost through the sheer force of will. I have seen that drive for 32 years since we came to Washington together as freshmen in 1994.\n\nAgain I say, this could turn out to be Lindsey Graham\u2019s greatest policy achievement.\n\nThe Lindsey Graham sanctions bill will advance the cause of freedom, and it will combat Vladimir Putin\u2019s war machine. It will go after Vladimir Putin, his inner circle, and the shadow fleet they use to evade sanctions. It will hold accountable those who purchase the most Russian oil and gas. It also will take aim at China\u2019s investments in Russian weapons production, and it will maintain sanctions pressure on Iran.\n\nThese policies will save human lives. They will pave the way for even more impressive battlefield achievements from Ukraine. The Ukrainians have been resourceful from day one. For four years, the freedom fighters have managed to stand against a country four times the size of theirs.\n\nAnd today, Ukraine is using long-range strikes to take the war to Russia. I hope to meet with President Zelensky, of Ukraine, soon. He regularly refers to these strikes as long-range sanctions. Let\u2019s give Ukraine even more sanctions, even more tools to fight back against the dictator Putin.\n\nThis bill will be a moral achievement, Mr. President. It is a clear statement about the aggressor in Russia and the nation he is attacking.\n\nUkraine targets facilities in Russia used to wage war. On the other hand, Vladimir Putin targets apartments, neighborhoods, churches, and corner stores.\n\nAs Ukraine defends its homeland, Vladimir Putin callously sends the sons of Russia into bloodshed.\n\nHe is not persuaded by appeals to human rights. I have made no secret of my complete disgust for the dictator Vladimir Putin and for his many war crimes against the Ukrainian people throughout this unprovoked conflict.\n\nIf we have learned anything about the Russian despot Vladamir Putin over the course of this war, it\u2019s that the slaughter of civilians and even his own Russian troops give him no pause. His soulmates are the dead dictators of the previous century, Mr. President.\n\nPol Pot, Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin. Vladimir Putin\u2019s name deserves to be stated among those desperate war criminals. He disregards human life, but he does prize the strength of his war machine. For this, Putin relies on his energy sales \u2013 and that\u2019s what we\u2019re getting to with this bill.\n\nThis legislation will help curtail those energy sales. It will put maximum economic pressure on Vladimir Putin\u2014this is the one thing, apparently the only thing, he understands.\n\nPresident Trump and President Zelensky have long extended the hand of peace. Time and again, Putin has answered with more violence, more destruction, and more innocent Ukrainian and Russian lives snuffed out.\n\nLindsey Graham understood Putin\u2019s calculation, and he wrote a bill to hit Putin where it hurts. We\u2019ll have a chance to act on that bill today. I expect an overwhelming majority vote in favor.\n\nThank you, Mr. President.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-25T05:31:37Z", "2026-08-25T05:33:09Z"]], "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.wicker.senate.gov/2026/07/29/chairman-wicker-speaks-in-support-of-sen-grahams-russia-iran-sanctions-bill/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9178209584206343, "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"}