The House concurred in the Senate amendment to H.R. 5334 at 6:28 PM Wednesday, 262 to 159, and sent the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 toward the President's desk. Republicans voted 203 to 7 for it. Democrats split 58 to 152 against.
Hakeem Jeffries read the text. The House Democratic leader said Thursday the bill carries "so many loopholes" the sanctions may never be applied at all.
He is right, and the loophole has a number.
Section 115(a) lets the President waive any sanction, restriction or duty in Title I, as to any foreign person, once he sends Congress a written certification that the waiver serves the national interest. Congress cannot vote that waiver down. Nothing expires. He may classify his reasoning.
That is the whole machine. He sends a letter to Congress, and whoever was sanctioned stops being sanctioned. No hearing, no deadline, no second signature.
Narativ reported in March that Trump quietly lifted sanctions on Russian oil loaded onto tankers, the first major relaxation since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, and that Russian oil revenue ran 14 percent above the previous month. He did that with authority he already had. Section 115 hands him more.
Someone asked for that switch, on White House letterhead, weeks before a single senator voted on it.
