Senate Overwhelmingly Supports Russia Sanctions Bill: Good or Bad Idea?

A bill from Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) that would impose a 500% tariff on countries that buy Russian energy is receiving widespread bipartisan support.

For Context: The bill has 82 co-sponsors so far and comes days after President Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY” and accused Russia of killing civilians in recent strikes on Ukraine.

Support: The bill has received significant support from both Senate Republicans and Democrats, as well as The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Lean Right bias). The Journal’s Board voiced intense support for the bill on May 20 and again on May 26. On May 27, it published an opinion from Graham, who wrote, “Depending on how Russia responds, we will know which course to take… if Mr. Putin continues to play games, the Senate will act. I’m hoping for the best, but when it comes to the thug in Moscow, we should all prepare for more of the same.”

Opposition: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) (Lean Right) penned an opinion for Responsible Statecraft (Center) in which he said Graham’s bill would “backfire” and “cause an economic calamity on a scale never before seen in our country.” Paul argued, “While tariffs make wars more likely, embargoes make wars difficult to avoid,” and that such a steep tariff on so many countries “essentially amounts to an embargo.”

European Perspective: An analysis from Euronews (Center) said the bill “could wreck Russia” but also “ravage several EU countries.” The publication noted that France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czechia, and Finland all purchase or transport Russian energy. It added, however, that “there is a glimmer of hope for Brussels.” The draft law would allow Trump to “grant a 180-day exemption from the 500% tariff to a country” to protect “national security interests.”

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.