China and India, you better buy your oil and gas somewhere else, Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal warned on Wednesday after the US Congress approved a bill that could expose major buyers of Russian energy to steep tariffs.
“To China and India: You better clean up your act. Buy your oil and gas somewhere else. Appeasement is not a strategy,” he told reporters.
The US House of Representatives have passed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by a 262-159 vote. The bill will now go to US President Donald Trump for his signature. The legislation gives Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.
The measure already cleared the Senate with an 86-11 vote last month. In the House, 203 Republicans, 58 Democrats and one Independent voted in favour, while seven Republicans and 152 Democrats opposed it. Much of the Democratic opposition centred on the tariff powers the bill would give Trump.
What US lawmakers said
Blumenthal’s warning came as lawmakers backed a measure aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine.
Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen also pointed to Russia’s “shadow fleet” of vessels, which Washington says helps Moscow evade sanctions and continue selling oil.
“Russia is getting that oil and gas sold by using the shadow fleet, which means that it’s being bought at less than market rates, and it’s going mostly to countries like China and India,” Shaheen said, as per PTI. “China is the top user of Russian oil and gas, and we need to send a very strong message, not just to Putin, but to China, and to anybody who is buying Russian oil and gas, that they are going to pay a price for that,” she added.
Bill does not automatically impose 100% tariff
The legislation does not itself impose a 100% tariff on Indian or Chinese goods. Instead, it gives Trump the authority to impose such duties under specified conditions if he chooses to use that power after the bill becomes law.
The measure targets Russia’s leadership, financial institutions and energy sector. It also seeks to penalise vessels and other entities involved in helping Moscow bypass existing sanctions. In addition, it expands sanctions on Iran.
The bill allows tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas. India and China are among them, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.
Democrats raise concerns over Trump’s tariff powers
While the bill received bipartisan support, some Democrats opposed the measure because of the additional authority it gives the president over tariffs.
“What we’re not for is giving more tariff authority to this president,” Democratic Congressman Richard Neal said during the House debate, as per Reuters. The legislation is named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey O Graham of South Carolina, who spent more than a year building support for tougher sanctions on Russia and Iran.
The Ukraine Action Summit, organised by the American Coalition for Ukraine, was underway as lawmakers considered the legislation.
The House vote also came shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s scheduled official visit to the US.
