Darline Graham in the 119th Congress. SUPPORTING EARLY-CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS' DEDUCTIONS ACT The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will resume legislative session and resume consideration of H.R. 5334,
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SUPPORTING EARLY-CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS' DEDUCTIONS ACT
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will resume legislative session and resume consideration of H.R. 5334, which the clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 5334) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 to allow early childhood educators to take the educator
expense deduction, and for other purposes.
Amendment No. 6711
Ms. GRAHAM. I call up amendment No. 6711 and ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from South Carolina [Ms. Graham], for herself
and Mr. BLUMENTHAL, proposes an amendment numbered 6711.
(The amendment is printed in the Record of July 29, 2026, under “Text of Amendments.”)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Amendment No. 6715 to Amendment No. 6711
(Purpose: To strike the provision relating to duties on countries that purchase Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas or facilitate sanctions evasion.)
Mr. PAUL. I call up amendment No. 6715 and ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. Paul], for himself and
others, proposes an amendment numbered 6715 to amendment No.
(The amendment is printed in the Record of July 29, 2026, under “Text of Amendments.”)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, the bill before us contains the largest tax increase ever passed by a Republican Congress. Worse yet, the bill transfers the taxing authority from the legislature to the executive branch, an unconstitutional delegation of power.
The Constitution clearly states that “Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, duties . . . and Excises.”
divided the power and pitted the executive ambition against legislative ambition. Madison would be horrified by the clamor of so many in Congress to cede the taxing authority.
bill. My amendment—if it passes—will demonstrate that Congress still has a spine, still has ambition, and still supports the separation and limitation of power.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time in opposition?
The Senator from Alabama.
Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I ask for 2 minutes to be equally divided between myself and the Senator from Connecticut.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, the Senate has a spine. That is exactly what we are doing here today is standing with a steel spine. We are standing against Putin's aggression.
You saw, this week, him actually attack innocent Ukrainians. Ballistic drones go, hit breweries. They hit innocent civilians working in warehouses. This is enough. Today, we stand together to say: We are going to cut off the flow of money to Putin.
colleague from Kentucky wants to rip out, was actually the heart of this bill; that this was the way to hit Putin where it hurt most.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I appreciate my colleague from Alabama's strong support of this bill. She has been instrumental in our reaching this point, and I thank her and Senator Graham of South Carolina.
To state it really bluntly, Mr. President, this amendment kills the bill. It decimates the purpose of the bill, which has been the result of painstaking—sometimes painful—negotiations over months with the White House, with our colleagues here, with the U.S. Trade Representative, whom I also thank for his cooperation and assistance.
constrained to the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas. It is not a broad, blunderbuss provision. It is narrowly targeted. And no secret, the two largest purchasers? Ninety percent, China and Russia.
So let's be real here. This narrowly targeted tariff provision is essential to the bill. The choice isn't between this bill with tariffs and a bill without tariffs. The choice is between this bill or no bill.
I oppose this amendment and urge my colleagues to vote no.
Vote on Amendment No. 6715
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the amendment.
Mr. BARRASSO. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).
The result was announced—yeas 32, nays 64, as follows:
Rollcall Vote No. 223 Leg.
YEAS—32
Alsobrooks
Bennet
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Cassidy
Gallego
Hassan
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kim
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Paul
Peters
Reed
Sanders
Schiff
Schumer
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Wyden
NAYS—64
Armstrong
Baldwin
Banks
Barrasso
Blumenthal
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Heinrich
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
King
Lankford
Lee
Marshall
McCormick
Merkley
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Murkowski
Murphy
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Schatz
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Whitehouse
Wicker
Young
NOT VOTING—4
Blackburn
Kelly
Lummis
McConnell
The amendment (No. 6715) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Graham- Blumenthal amendment No. 6711 is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 6711) was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the title of the bill for the third time.
The bill was read the third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators Shaheen, Blumenthal, and Schumer be recognized for up to 1 minute each.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
H.R. 5334
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, colleagues, every day that Russia earns billions from energy exports, it has more resources to finance this war. Every day that Putin has those resources, he gains more time. Every day that Putin gains more time, more Ukrainians are killed.
This legislation is what President Zelenskyy asked us to do. This is what Senator Graham worked so hard to achieve. I hope we can give it an overwhelming vote.
I yield the floor.
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, Mr. Fetterman and I appreciate the work being done to advance the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, H.R.5334, in the Senate. This bill will honor Senator Graham's legacy, help dismantle Putin's war machine, and strengthen the U.S. national security.
uses to continue its unprovoked war against Ukraine, and we must consider how it can be most effectively implemented. Helium is a byproduct of natural gas and has largely been produced in the United States, Qatar, and Algeria. However, Russia has been catching up. Russia has doubled its helium production since the beginning of the war and is now the third largest producer of helium in the world. Despite the limited need for helium in Russia, reports indicate that Russia is still increasing its helium production at multiple plants. This increase in production contributes to Russia's long-term strategy to export helium, which will help to continue financing Russian aggression in Ukraine.
advanced lasers for medical technology, rocket fuel and missile guidance systems, and manufacturing for critical parts of our information infrastructure such as fiber optics and semiconductors. We must ensure these critical industries do not rely on Russian helium and unwittingly provide financial lifelines to Putin.
“any foreign vessel the President determines, based on credible information, is used by the Government of the Russian Federation or Russian persons to move crude oil, uranium, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, petroleum, petroleum products, petrochemical products, coal, coal products, arms or other goods for the purposes of circumventing sanctions imposed by the United States or other countries.”
Section 112(a) of the legislation further provides for “duty for all goods, including oil, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, petroleum, petroleum products, petrochemical products, coal, and coal products imported into the United States from the Russian Federation.”
The “other goods” language in section 102(b) and the “all goods” language in section 112(a) is sufficiently broad that helium and other natural gas byproducts should qualify as a “good” under this legislation. Should this bill be enacted into law, the President should consider using authorities under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, H.R.5334, to weaken Russia's production of natural gas byproducts, including helium.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues in advance for their overwhelming bipartisan support for this bill that shows we can still work together for the right causes to accomplish the right results.
courageous, effective sister Darline for their immensely important, even historic contribution to this bill.
Today, we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine.
We stand with the brave, free people of Ukraine. We need to provide them military assistance. We can't do that today, but we are providing the economic tools that are necessary to stop the major purchases of Russian oil and gas from fueling Putin's war machine.
President Zelenskyy has said to us from the beginning: Give us the tools; we will do the job.
Today, we give him an essential tool.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The minority leader.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I yield back my time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
Ms. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today, and I am honored to reiterate my full support for the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.
expert. He was also a peacemaker who was determined to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine. He worked tirelessly to achieve that goal. Lindsey traveled to Ukraine on 10 separate occasions seeking an end to this war.
peace. He understood that providing President Trump the tools contained in this legislation would help push Russia to the negotiating table. That had been his goal since day one.
We are all aware of the tremendous bloodshed. For more than 4 years, Putin has wreaked havoc on the lives of everyday people, kidnapping tens of thousands of Ukrainian children and committing unspeakable acts. The war against Ukraine is primarily funded by the revenue Russia rakes in from energy sales. Without these profits, the ability to fund the war would be crippled.
This legislation hits Putin where it hurts. It contains provisions that specifically target those who are supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. This bill forces those primary countries keeping Russia's economy afloat to make a simple yet critical choice—a choice between doing business with America or buying cheap Russian energy. This legislation tells Russia's customers that the United States of America will not sit by while they fund Putin's assault.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would end Russia's network of aggression and criminal leadership.
nation, he typically doesn't stop there. My brother knew this well, and I am honored to continue his work of advancing this historic legislation.
I would especially like to thank President Trump; my colleagues Senator Blumenthal, Senator Britt, Senator Shaheen, and Senator Wicker for their leadership in moving this forward
with me. I would also like to thank all the staff who have worked so very hard.
In closing, over the past 2\1/2\ centuries, America has stood as a beacon of hope to the free world.
each Member of this body must also make a choice: whether we have the courage to stand up to evil or whether we will continue on with the status quo.
It is time for a show of strength. It is time for action. It is time for the Senate to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.
I yield the floor.
(Applause.)
Vote on H.R. 5334
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill, as amended, pass?
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).
The result was announced—yeas 86, nays 11, as follows:
Rollcall Vote No. 224 Leg.
YEAS—86
Alsobrooks
Armstrong
Baldwin
Banks
Barrasso
Bennet
Blumenthal
Booker
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Cantwell
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gallego
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kennedy
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lee
Lujan
Marshall
McCormick
Merkley
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Schatz
Schiff
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Whitehouse
Wicker
Young
NAYS—11
Blunt Rochester
Hassan
Hirono
Markey
Ossoff
Padilla
Paul
Sanders
Warren
Welch
Wyden
NOT VOTING—3
Blackburn
Lummis
McConnell
(Mr. HAGERTY assumed the Chair.)
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Graham). On this vote, the yeas are 86, the nays are 11.
The 60-vote threshold having been achieved, the bill is passed.
The bill (H.R. 5334), as amended, was passed.
(Applause).
Amendment No. 6712
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Graham Amendment No. 6712 to the title is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 6712) was agreed to as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the title)
Amend the title so as to read: “An Act to impose sanctions
and other measures with respect to the Russian Federation, as
championed by the late Senator Lindsey O. Graham, and for
other purposes.”.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The title, as amended, is agreed to, and the motions to reconsider are considered made and laid upon the table.