Senate moves Russia-Iran sanctions bill named for Graham; volume at 22-year Tuesday low

Six senators — Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Darline Graham (R-S.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) — announced the bipartisan deal Tuesday afternoon and scheduled an evening vote to advance the legislation. The bill targets Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign financial institutions, and the Russian Shadow Fleet. It also limits tariff authority to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas and the top five countries aiding Russia's energy sanctions evasion.

"We are proud to announce an agreement on legislation to stop purchasers of Russian oil and gas from fueling Putin's war machine and to continue restricting the Iranian regime's ability to support terrorism and build its nuclear program," the senators wrote in their joint statement.

Majority Leader Thune had previewed the Ukraine sanctions push in a Fox News appearance earlier in the day. "We're going to do Russia sanctions, and that's a tribute to Lindsey Graham, who we all are going to ... commemorate ... I think we'll get that done," Thune said.

Thune delivered a eulogy at Graham's Capitol memorial service Tuesday, describing him as "a towering figure here in the Senate — and on the international stage." The majority leader recalled accompanying Graham on congressional delegations worldwide and noted Graham's instant rapport with U.S. service members abroad.

"It didn't matter to Lindsey whether an issue was popular or unpopular — whether he had the full support of his colleagues or whether he was standing alone. If he believed he was in the right, he spoke up," Thune said. He quoted Graham directly on two causes Graham called foundational: "'Until my last breath, I will be fighting for this cause,'" on the pro-life movement, and "'I don't apologize for being pro-life,'" from a 2022 interview.

Thune also quoted Graham on his own background: "'There are a lot of so-called "self made" people in this world. I am not one of them. My family, friends, neighbors and my faith picked me up when I was down, believed in me when I had doubts. You made me the man I am today.'"

Every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), sent a letter Tuesday demanding the Justice Department explain its subpoenas targeting New York Times journalists, their family members, and third-party record providers — subpoenas issued after the Times published reporting on security capabilities of Trump's new Air Force One aircraft.

"The Department's lack of transparency and aggressive action toward journalists — in this circumstance, seemingly directed by President Trump after he was upset by negative reporting — both follow this administration's clear pattern of pressuring news organizations, including several attempts by DOJ to subpoena or intimidate journalists," the senators wrote to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The letter also flags a potential conflict with the Justice Manual. "Section 9-13.400 explicitly dictates that requested information must be 'essential' to an investigation or prosecution, and that subpoenas 'should not be used to obtain peripheral, nonessential, or speculative information.' Yet DOJ demanded records dating back to January 1, 2026," the senators wrote. The inquiry specifically probes the involvement of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, the current nominee for Director of National Intelligence, who issued the subpoenas before DOJ withdrew some of them after judicial scrutiny.

Two Republican senators pushed separately Tuesday on voter ID and the stalled SAVE America Act. Thune, in his Fox News appearance, catalogued five Senate floor votes the chamber has already held — on photo ID, photo ID with citizenship requirements, and the full SAVE Act twice — and blamed Democratic bloc voting for its failure to advance. "The Democrats block voted against it, in spite of the fact that there are at least a dozen Democrats — and I have the quotes — who have come out publicly and said they're for photo ID, but when they actually got a chance to put up or shut up on the floor of the Senate, they all voted no," Thune said.

In a floor statement, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) moved for unanimous consent on H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act — a House-passed measure that would ban congressional stock trading and institute national voter ID requirements. Senate Democrats objected. "The American People expect results, and I didn't come to the Senate to just listen as the vast majority of this country call for securing our elections and banning members from trading stocks," Moody said.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), in a Newsmax interview, voiced support for voter ID and said he would vote to eliminate the filibuster to pass it — describing a shift in his own position. "I'm one of them, and I changed my mind in the past year when I saw the Democrats obstruct everything — when they wouldn't fund ICE, and recently they won't fund the military," Marshall said.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), pressed Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano Tuesday over field offices in more than a dozen states and territories listed as closed to in-person service — citing a direct conflict with Bisignano's own pledge to lawmakers.

"You vowed to 'keep every field office open' and 'providing better and higher-quality service,'" the senators wrote. "These reported closures, particularly any that are caused by staff shortages, will make it harder for Americans to access their benefits — and call your commitment into question."

"Since slashing approximately 7,500 agency employees last year, the Trump administration has wreaked havoc at SSA — and Americans have been paying the price," the senators wrote. SSA's website as of late July confirmed offices in Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia offering "no in-person service" and only telephone assistance. The senators noted that as of August 2025, the median state had one field office representative per nearly 4,000 beneficiaries — a ratio 12 percent higher than before the workforce cuts.

Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) sent a letter Tuesday to Senate colleagues urging them to cosponsor their bipartisan Clean Water Allotment Modernization Act and press for its inclusion in the Water Resources and Development Act of 2026. Both senators issued separate releases on the same effort.

"Every year, the EPA distributes federal clean water infrastructure dollars using the same fixed percentages assigned to each state when the program was created. In other words, the nation's principal clean water infrastructure program is running on an outdated, unexplainable formula that no longer reflects the needs of the communities it is meant to serve," Scott and Kelly wrote. The current allotment formula has not been updated since 1987.

The bill would replace that fixed formula with one weighted by documented infrastructure needs (60%), state population from the most recent census (20%), and share of population at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (20%). Florida's allotment would rise from 3.43% to approximately 6.16% under the new formula, reflecting population growth from roughly 12 million when the formula was set to more than 23 million today.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) joined Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in introducing the Restoring Affordability in Automobile Manufacturing (RAAM) Act (S.5092), which would eliminate Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards effective model year 2029. The bill is also cosponsored by Sens. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.).

"Over the past 50 years, the CAFE standards have morphed into a big government weapon for regulators to push radical climate agendas and drive vehicle prices up. The Biden administration tried to use it as a club to force EVs on everyone. The RAAM Act would put an end to this government overreach and allow consumers and auto manufacturers to set the market," Hyde-Smith said.

"Today's CAFE standards distort the automobile market, saddle manufacturers with costly compliance requirements that drive up vehicle costs for hardworking families and do little to shield Americans from the volatility of global oil markets," Crapo said. The release notes the bill complements congressional Republicans' earlier elimination of civil monetary penalties for CAFE noncompliance under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the bipartisan Increasing Mental Health Options Act Tuesday, targeting a Medicare rule that requires psychologists to obtain physician approval before providing services in certain treatment settings — including skilled nursing facilities and partial hospitalization programs.

"Medicare patients should not have to jump through hoops to get mental health treatment. Our bill will cut needless red tape so psychologists can treat patients sooner, especially in rural communities where mental health professionals are in short supply," Kennedy said. The bill would also make psychologists eligible for Medicare bonus payments when serving communities with mental health professional shortages, without changing state licensing laws or expanding psychologists' scope of practice.

The entire Senate Democratic Caucus, including Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), signed on Tuesday to the reintroduced Right to IVF Act, a bill led by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

"Deciding when and how to start a family is deeply personal, and Americans deserve access to the full spectrum of quality health care to make those critical decisions," Wyden said. "IVF should be accessible and affordable to all — it's critical care for folks wanting to start or expand their family," Merkley said. The bill would establish a federal right to IVF access, require private health plans to cover fertility treatments, and expand coverage for federal workers, active-duty service members, and veterans.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) pressed the Trump administration Tuesday over its rollback of federal foodborne illness surveillance, citing a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has produced more than 4,000 confirmed cases — including over 400 in New York. In a letter to Acting CDC Director Bhattacharya and Acting FDA Commissioner Diamantas, Gillibrand pointed to a July 2025 decision removing Cyclospora from the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network mandatory tracking list.

"The Trump administration's staffing and funding cuts to public health programs and moves to scale back tracking of foodborne illnesses have coincided with the explosion of cyclosporiasis that we see today," Gillibrand said. She also cited a 25 percent budget cut to the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model, which she said forced labs to implement hiring freezes and delay replacement of diagnostic equipment, and the suspension of FDA quality checks across its national network of food-testing labs.

The letter describes these combined actions as having "created dangerous blind spots that directly compromise public health and leave Americans vulnerable to preventable parasitic infections, both presently and in the future."

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) highlighted a Joint Economic Committee report Tuesday finding that the average Delaware household has spent more than $3,000 in additional costs since President Trump took office, against a national average of more than $3,500. The JEC report attributes the increases to tariffs, the conflict in Iran, and the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits.

"Through his disastrous tariffs, failed war in Iran, and brutal 'Big, Beautiful' budget bill, Delawareans are paying thousands of dollars more because of this administration," Coons said. The JEC report details $654 more in housing costs, $535 more for gasoline since the start of the Iran conflict, $310 more on groceries in Trump's first year, and monthly ACA premium increases of more than 50% on average in 2026.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) introduced legislation Tuesday requiring random assignment of civil cases in all federal district courts and random assignment of Circuit Court of Appeals panels — framed explicitly as a response to what Schmitt called judicial shopping.

"Judge Boasberg is the poster child for a rogue judge and exposed serious loopholes in our judicial system. Randomly assigning cases among judges ensures the American people can have confidence in the impartiality of our courts," Schmitt said. The BOASBERG Act would also require courts to publicly disclose their randomization procedures and mandate reassignment to a new district judge if the Supreme Court overturns the original ruling.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) announced Tuesday that the City of St. Louis has received $2.9 million in FEMA funding to continue disaster case management services for residents affected by the May 16, 2025, EF3 tornado. The funding will support Disaster Case Managers through 2027 and becomes active August 1.

"Following last year's devastating tornado, the St. Louis community rallied together in support of our neighbors, and I have been proud to partner with the Trump Administration, Mayor Spencer, and Governor Kehoe to help deliver essential relief as our community recovers," Schmitt said. More than 1,500 St. Louis residents have applied for assistance through the disaster case management program. United Way will administer services in partnership with the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, LifeWise, and HOPE.

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) detailed Tuesday the provisions he secured in the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which the release describes as "the largest housing package in a generation." Warnock's contributions include an Appraisal Modernization Act provision giving homeowners the right to request a second appraisal to combat bias — described as the only fair housing provision in the bill — and a $1 billion Local Government Housing Innovation Fund drawn from his American Housing and Economic Mobility Act.

"I hear from Georgians across the state who have been clamoring for action from Washington on the housing affordability crisis, and this legislation is proof that when we center the people instead of the politics, we can get good policy done," Warnock said. Additional provisions include Community Development Block Grant improvements, permitting reform for affordable housing projects, and a manufactured housing design modernization expected to reduce purchase prices by as much as $10,000.

Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) introduced the bipartisan Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement (SAFE) Act Tuesday, targeting trucking companies that evade federal safety enforcement by shutting down and reopening under new identities.

"In recent years, we've seen chameleon carriers become a major issue on Indiana's roads, putting Hoosiers at risk and punishing law-abiding truckers," Young said. "When unsafe trucking companies evade enforcement by reopening under a new identity, everyone who shares the road with them is put at greater risk. Our bill will help federal regulators to identify these fraudulent operators before they hit the road, strengthening highway safety and potentially saving lives." The bill would direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to develop an automated detection mechanism and commission a study on the scope of the chameleon carrier problem.

Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) applauded Tuesday the USDA's decision to provide two $25 million loans to Tahoe Forest Products, LLC, a Northern Nevada company that processes salvaged timber from forests in the Tahoe Basin to support wildfire fuel reduction.

"Tahoe Forest Products has been a leader in promoting forest health in the Tahoe basin, with their lumber processing playing a direct role in alleviating wildfire impacts. As wildfires continue to get worse year after year, it is critical that we support industries working to protect our communities," Rosen said. Cortez Masto described the funding as enabling work that "plays a critical role in keeping our communities safe." Over the past 20 years, wildfires have burned 8.8 million acres in Nevada.

Signals

• volumeTuesday's 22 releases represent a 77.3 percent drop below the Tuesday average of 97.1 — the lowest observed Tuesday volume in this dataset.
• voteA vote to advance the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was scheduled for Tuesday evening, per the Britt release.
• coordinatedScott and Kelly issued near-simultaneous separate releases on the identical Clean Water Allotment Modernization Act colleague letter, a mirror rollout across party lines.
• coordinatedAll Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats signed a single letter on DOJ journalist subpoenas, anchored by Schiff's release and consistent with a full-caucus rollout.
• coordinatedThe entire Senate Democratic Caucus cosponsored the Right to IVF Act reintroduction, as noted in the Merkley release.
• coordinatedSchmitt issued two releases Tuesday — FEMA tornado recovery funding and the BOASBERG Act — the only senator with multiple releases in today's set.
• recessSenate is 13 days from the August state work period; no scheduled votes appear on the calendar beyond tonight's Graham sanctions bill procedural vote.