McCaul Speaks in Support of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act at Rules Committee

September 15, 2026 Press Release "This is a moral issue that requires moral courage" WASHINGTON – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul (R-Texas) spoke at a House Rules Committee hearing in support of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which he introduced in the House with Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and a bipartisan group of their colleagues. Image Click to watch Remarks as delivered: This is a critical time in history — a time my friend Senator Lindsey Graham described as a “magic moment.” Today, we have an opportunity to help end the war in Europe and to project peace through strength around the globe. But before I get into that, I want to talk about what brought us here to this moment. When I chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee during the fall of Afghanistan — a disaster of epic proportions that telegraphed American weakness to our adversaries — Putin was watching. He met with President Xi at the 2022 Olympics to solidify their unholy alliance. Then, we watched on satellite imagery as the Russian Federation moved toward Ukraine. I’ll never forget visiting Poland with Ranking Member Meeks and seeing the refugees fleeing out of Ukraine. The similarities to my father’s war — World War II — were striking. The Poles told us: “This is 1939 all over again.” The oceans did not shield us from tyranny then, and they will not shield us now — especially as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea work together to threaten America and our allies. Make no mistake: President Xi is watching what happens in Ukraine to determine whether he can get away with invading Taiwan. He’s calculating whether or not the free world will stop Putin’s aggression — and he’s certainly watching what we do here today. Senator Lindsey Graham understood these global threats well. That’s why he spent more than a year working on this legislation, which I promised him I would introduce in the House. He brought Republicans and Democrats together and secured the White House’s support. This week, we have a chance to finish his work. I’m proud to champion the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. And I want to thank Mr. Hoyer and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their strong support. For me, this is also personal. Lindsey Graham was my friend; he was my mentor. He understood the threats facing this country and had the courage to stand up and confront them. We shared a fundamental belief: “America is strongest at home when it projects strength abroad.” He and I were both in Ukraine — on separate trips — the week before he passed. While there, I met with soldiers and commanders near the front lines. I also saw Ukraine’s drone operations and the extraordinary innovation they’ve brought to this fight. People said Ukraine would fall in four days. But more than four years after the invasion, they are still in the fight. And the assistance we fought to pass in 2024 helped give them tools to survive – and begin turning the tide of the war. Now is the time for the free world to put maximum pressure on Putin to bring him to the negotiating table. That’s where this legislation comes in. It targets the money that fuels Russia’s war machine. It goes after Russian officials and oligarchs, banks and financial institutions, and the shadow fleet that helps keep cheap Russian energy moving. And by using narrowly scoped and precisely targeted tariffs, it exercises Congress’ Article I authority over foreign commerce to punish countries providing financial support for the deadliest war in Europe since WWII. These countries have a choice to make about whether they will continue to sustain Putin’s aggression. Putin believes he can keep financing this war indefinitely. We need to change that calculation — and ensure there are consequences for helping him. You cannot look at what Russia has done to Ukraine and pretend these are ordinary business transactions with no connection to bloodshed. The Kremlin has murdered thousands of civilians in cold blood. They’ve bombed sacred churches and schools. They’ve kidnapped countless children, tortured and indoctrinated them, and sent them to fight on the frontlines against their own country. We have a moral responsibility to bring an end to this suffering. But there is also a very clear American national security interest in stopping the Kremlin’s campaign of aggression. If Putin is rewarded for invading a sovereign nation — if he succeeds — he has already told us he will go further. His army will move into Moldova, Georgia, and the Baltic States. And just like Putin wants to bring back the power of the Soviet Union, President Xi wants to restore imperial China. These dictators must be deterred — before it’s too late. This legislation also extends sanctions on Iran, which are set to expire at the end of this year, restricting funding for its energy and weapons sectors. Again, this is all tied together. In 2024, I spoke before this committee about Iranian drones being used by Russia to kill Ukrainians. In return, Russia is reportedly providing targeting information to the Iranian IRGC. We cannot look at one part of this threat and ignore the others. This bill leverages our economic strength to make it harder for these regimes to finance aggression. As chairman emeritus of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I often said that partisanship stops at the water’s edge. I still believe that. We are free to have disagreements — that’s democracy. But when we’re addressing our adversaries, we need to speak as one — with one voice, as one nation. They need to know that we’re not divided when it comes to our national security. The Senate passed this legislation by a vote of 86 to 11. That is an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Now the House must act. What would it communicate to Putin if the United States can’t rally around such broadly supported legislation? How would our failure to act encourage North Korea to continue sending its own soldiers to the meat grinder, or Iran to continue supplying Russia with weapons to kill innocent civilians? This is a moral issue that requires moral courage. When we look back on this moment, I want us to be able to say that we did everything possible to end this war. That we understood the threat. That we had the courage to do what was right — to cripple the Russian war machine and turn the tide toward peace. On my latest visit to Ukraine, I met with President Zelensky, who told me he is ready for a ceasefire — ready to negotiate. Putin, on the other hand, defies President Trump and the international community by refusing to come to the table. In conclusion, Lindsey Graham said if this passed it would be his greatest legislative accomplishment. I can think of no better way to honor his life and legacy than passing these tough sanctions. Finally, he said, “I have never been more optimistic than I am today that we have the formula to end this war.” I couldn’t agree more. The time to act is now. Issues : Foreign Affairs