U.S. Lawmaker Submits Amendment Naming India in Russia Sanctions Bill

United States lawmakers have introduced competing legislative amendments to a high-profile Russia sanctions bill, with one proposal explicitly naming India alongside nine other nations as eligible for potential 100 per cent import duties. The legislative maneuvering arrives as the House of Representatives faces a tight deadline with only four working days remaining before entering an early recess ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

The underlying legislation, titled the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, cleared the U.S. Senate by an overwhelming 86-11 vote last month. The core measure seeks to penalize Russia's leadership and energy sector, target the shadow fleet of vessels used by Moscow to circumvent oil delivery restrictions, and authorize the executive branch to levy sweeping tariffs on major importers of Russian crude to restrict funding for the war in Ukraine.

Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer submitted an amendment that explicitly lists China, India, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. This proposal diverges from the Senate-passed version of August 7, which generalized the scope by referring broadly to the five largest importers of oil and gas by volume rather than designating individual sovereign states by name.

Conversely, Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks filed an amendment seeking to completely dismantle Section 113 of the legislation. That specific section grants the president broad authority to impose secondary tariffs on nations engaging in oil trade with Moscow. Meeks has secured three co-sponsors for his measure to strip the tariff provisions from the act entirely.

In addition to the tariff dispute, Congressman Meeks introduced a separate amendment designed to establish waiver provisions for foreign entities. Under this proposal, the president could temporarily lift sanctions on a foreign person for 90-day increments, subject to renewals, upon determining that the exemption is vital to the national security of the United States.

Meeks proposed allocating 15 billion dollars in direct loans to Ukraine. This funding mechanism is intended to finance the procurement of specialized defense articles and services. The House Rules Committee published these competing amendments, setting up a contentious floor debate over whether to explicitly target trading partners, eliminate tariff enforcement authorities, or expand financial backing for Kyiv before the chamber adjourns.