Sen. Blumenthal urges House to pass Russia sanctions bill amid a “moment of extreme urgency” in Ukraine

August 30, 2026 / 1:17 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on Sunday urged the House to approve the Senate-passed Russia sanctions bill amid a "moment of extreme urgency" in the war in Ukraine.

"It is a moment of extreme urgency, for the reason that Putin may try to escalate, but also because Putin is on his heels economically," Blumenthal said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." "And this kind of sanctions bill, throttling the flow of revenue to his war machine could undercut completely his ability to wage this brutal, murderous war."

The Senate passed the measure along wide bipartisan margins before leaving town for its August recess earlier this month, in a push that came following the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who had long championed the effort alongside Blumenthal. Now, the sanctions push moved to the House, which is set to return this week from a five-week recess. But the bill's prospects in the lower chamber remain uncertain.

The bill, titled The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, would allow the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/