THE US House of Representatives is set for a final vote as early as Wednesday on a bill that could authorize president Donald Trump to impose 100 per cent tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil and gas, after the legislation cleared a key procedural hurdle on Tuesday evening.
The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 advanced after two Democratic lawmakers broke ranks with their party to vote alongside Republicans.
The resolution to advance the bill, along with a slew of other legislation, passed by a narrow 214-211 vote, a result that caught House Democratic leadership off guard.
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For India, the bill carries direct consequences. While it does not name specific countries outright, it authorizes tariffs on Russia's top oil trading partners, which the report identifies as including China and India.
The version passed by the Senate on August 7 similarly avoids naming countries, instead referring to the five largest importers of oil and gas by volume, a group that includes India given its continued purchases of discounted Russian crude.
The legislation also seeks to impose sanctions on Russia's leadership and energy sector, as well as on the "shadow fleet" of vessels that enable Moscow to evade existing sanctions on oil deliveries.
The push comes as the US maintains that Russia's crude oil trade is helping fund its war against Ukraine.
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Opposition within the House has focused on concerns about executive overreach rather than the bill's underlying goal.
Democratic congressman Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, opposed the bill on Monday, arguing that it would grant president Trump unchecked authority to impose tariffs without any guardrails.
Despite that opposition, the bill has enjoyed strong bipartisan backing in the Senate, which passed it last month by an overwhelming 86-11 margin.
The House vote is unfolding against a backdrop of intensified lobbying by pro-Ukraine groups. The Ukraine Action Summit, organized by the American Coalition for Ukraine, is currently underway in Washington to press US lawmakers for continued support of Kyiv.
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If the bill clears the House, it will head to president Trump for his signature. The timeline is tight: the House is set to break for early recess on Thursday and is not expected to reconvene until November 9, after the midterm elections, making Wednesday's anticipated vote a critical window for the legislation to advance before the break.
For India, which has continued to import discounted Russian crude despite Western pressure, the looming final vote adds fresh uncertainty to trade relations with Washington, with a potential 100 per cent tariff now just one House vote away.
