As Congress barrels toward a so-called “bipartisan” Russia sanctions bill with the speed of a runaway freight train, the only thing more amazing than the spectacle is the fact that anyone thinks this legislative circus will actually change Vladimir Putin’s mind—or do anything but drain more American resources while risking new global chaos.
At a Glance
- Speaker Mike Johnson signals House openness to a sweeping Russia sanctions bill, even as the GOP remains deeply split on further Ukraine involvement.
- The Senate’s legislation includes a presidential waiver and penalties for countries buying Russian energy, raising the stakes—and the risks—worldwide.
- Over 80 senators co-sponsor the bill, making it nearly veto-proof, while Trump and other major Republicans hedge bets on how far to go.
- Supporters claim more sanctions will bring Russia to heel, but critics warn it could escalate energy shocks and diplomatic fallout across the globe.
Congress Pushes New Russia Sanctions as Ukraine War Drags On
Speaker Mike Johnson, caught squarely between dueling GOP factions, has publicly floated the idea of bringing the Senate’s massive new sanctions bill on Russia to a House vote. This comes on the heels of two years—and counting—of a bloody, expensive war in Ukraine that’s already cost American taxpayers over $100 billion. Johnson’s move is a direct response to the bill’s overwhelming momentum in the Senate, where over 80 senators, led by Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, have signed on. If that number holds, the bill could be veto-proof. That’s right: Congress is once again coming together, not to secure our border or fix runaway inflation, but to slap more sanctions on Russia while Americans at home struggle to afford groceries and gas.
The legislation’s centerpiece is a presidential waiver—a clever “out” that lets the White House dial sanctions up or down as it sees fit. This is supposedly designed to appeal to Donald Trump, who, in a twist that only Washington could cook up, now says he’s open to supplying Ukraine with defensive weapons and wants Putin to negotiate peace. Translation: The bill is being tailored not just for today’s crisis, but for whatever future political winds may blow through the Oval Office. Meanwhile, the bill targets not only Russia, but also threatens secondary sanctions on countries like China and India if they dare buy Russian energy. This is the kind of global “leadership” that has made American exports, alliances, and manufacturing a punchline for years.
Bipartisan Unity Masks Deep Divisions—and Dubious Results
Proponents in Congress are practically giddy about the “bipartisan” support for this sanctions package. But make no mistake: This unity is a mile wide and an inch deep. The Senate may have the numbers, but the House is another story. Johnson, Graham, and Blumenthal are all trying to keep the GOP’s pro-Ukraine internationalists on board while not losing the isolationist, America First wing that’s increasingly skeptical of endless foreign entanglements. Trump’s own mixed messages only add fuel to the fire. He’s frustrated with Putin, but he’s also no fan of Congress writing blank checks to Ukraine or giving the White House carte blanche with another foreign policy slush fund. At stake is not just the fate of this bill, but the broader question of whether U.S. policy will continue to be dictated by Beltway insiders or by the voters who have had enough of wars without end and spending without results.
On the ground, these sanctions are supposed to squeeze Russia until it cries uncle. Previous rounds targeted banks, oligarchs, technology, and energy sectors, but have failed to force any real change in the Kremlin’s behavior. Instead, Russia has simply pivoted to new trade partners—often the same countries the bill now threatens with secondary sanctions. Meanwhile, Ukraine remains dependent on the West, and the war grinds on with no end in sight.
Sanctions: Tough Talk, Uncertain Outcomes, and More Pain at Home
If the bill passes, the White House could ratchet up sanctions at will, targeting entire sectors or dialing back penalties as political winds shift. Supporters call the presidential waiver a pragmatic tool; opponents see it as a recipe for more executive overreach and less accountability. Experts warn that secondary sanctions against China and India could backfire spectacularly, sending global energy markets into a tailspin and further straining diplomatic ties. American businesses and families would bear the brunt, facing higher fuel and commodity prices just as they struggle with the fallout of years of inflation, reckless spending, and economic mismanagement at home.
What’s left unsaid by the bill’s boosters is the cost to ordinary Americans. While Washington obsesses over how to punish Russia, millions of Americans are left wondering why their leaders won’t bring the same urgency to border security, runaway crime, or the daily pressures of making ends meet in Biden’s America. Congress can move heaven and earth to write sanctions bills, but when it comes to defending our Constitution, protecting our way of life, and putting America first, the urgency seems to vanish. Until that changes, the only thing these sanctions will guarantee is more frustration for the people who pay the bills—and less security for the country they love.
