Honour late Lindsey Graham with Russia sanctions bill, says Mike Pence

Posting to X following an interview about his late colleague and friend, Pence said Congress should not only pass the Russian sanctions bill, but should put Graham’s name on it.

“It’s been more than four years since Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion,” Pence told the press.

“What the late Lindsey Graham…did better than anybody else in public life was stand firmly for freedom on that frontline battle between Ukraine and Russia…now we ought to see the Senate pass, in overwhelming numbers, those tough new sanctions.

"Put Lindsey’s name on it.”

Read more: Longtime Donald Trump ally Laura Loomer admits she was 'wrong on Ukraine'

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The Sanctioning Russia Act was a bipartisan effort led by Graham, 71, and Democratic senator, Richard Blumenthal, 80.

It was aimed at placing more economic sanctions on Russian goods, Russian financial institutions, and individuals connected to support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Its passage is in the balance now that Graham is no longer in office.

Blumenthal also told the press that passing the bill would be a “fitting tribute” to his late colleague.

The South Carolina senator was a long-time supporter of Ukraine, using his leverage in the Senate to push for military aid dating back to Russia’s first illegal invasion in 2014.

He was seen as a critical voice for Ukraine in the Trump White House, as his position often influenced President Donald Trump’s wavering stances on the war.

This was evident in the fact that two days before his death, Graham had managed to get the White House’s blessing to advance his sanctions bill.

The late senator had also been on his 10th visit to Ukraine days before his passing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted to X a day before the senator's death was announced, saying: “I'm grateful to Lindsey for recognising our warriors.

"The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the greater the chances that diplomacy will ultimately succeed.”

He passed away on July 11 from a “brief and sudden illness,” which initial medical reports disclosed as an aortic dissection connected to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Graham’s position as a key ally to Ukraine in the White House may be taken up by the unlikely figure of Laura Loomer, a known conspiracy theorist and adviser to the president.

Loomer recently posted about her first trip to Ukraine, where she apologised to her followers for spreading Russian propaganda in the past.

“I was wrong!” the MAGA spokesperson said on X. “I have a responsibility to correct the record. Russia is very good at information warfare.”

However, Loomer is not an elected official and does not have the power to draft, vote on, or pass legislation.

So, while she may have the President’s ear when it comes to Ukraine, she has no power over whether Graham’s sanctions bill passes through Congress.