House Passes Government Funding Bill and Russia Sanctions Legislation Ahead of Midterms

On September 1, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term government funding bill extending federal funding into mid-December, averting a shutdown just weeks before the midterm elections. The measure passed with bipartisan support and was sent for further action to keep the government operating through the election period. Separately, on September 16, 2026, the House passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, a sanctions bill that had already cleared the Senate, in a 262-159 vote on the final day before Congress recessed for the midterms; the bill was sent to President Trump for signature. The Russia sanctions legislation would grant the president expanded authority to impose tariffs on major buyers of Russian energy and issue additional sanctions targeting the Kremlin, aiming to reduce revenue Russia uses to fund its war in Ukraine. The bill, co-authored by the late Senator Lindsey Graham more than a year and a half before its passage, divided lawmakers: some Democrats and Republicans expressed concern that its provisions could grant the president power that might later be used against U.S. allies. Around the same period, the House also considered unrelated measures, including a bill to cut federal funding to colleges participating in boycotts of Israel, which 33 House Democrats supported despite objections from some in their party who argued it raised free speech concerns. As of mid-September 2026, the funding measure had been enacted to keep the government running through early-to-mid December, while the Russia sanctions bill awaited President Trump's signature after passing both chambers. A separate effort by Representative Al Green to impeach Trump over his immigration crackdown failed in the House on September 15, with dozens of Democrats declining to take a position on the articles, exposing intraparty divisions. Some details, including the exact final disposition of the sanctions bill after reaching the president's desk and the precise vote count on the funding measure, were not consistently specified across reports.