Turner says he hopes Senate will pass Russia sanctions as part of Lindsey Graham's legacy

Washington — GOP Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said Sunday that he's hopeful the Senate volition soon walk a Russia sanctions measure arsenic "one of the legacies" of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a staunch backer of stricter Russia sanctions who died abruptly Saturday.

"This measure would beryllium an important symbolism to say, 'We're going to beryllium with Ukraine.' And I surely anticipation the Senate moves it this week," Turner said connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."

On Friday, Graham announced alongside Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and GOP Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, that they had reached an statement with the Trump medication to determination guardant with an updated Russia sanctions package. 

Designed to heap economical unit connected Moscow successful an effort to bring the four-year warfare connected Ukraine to a close, the bundle would enforce sanctions and tariffs connected countries doing concern with Russia, including those that bargain Russian oil.

Graham, who died aft a "brief and abrupt illness" Saturday, had been pushing for the sanctions for much than a year, aft archetypal introducing the measure past April. Last July, Graham said connected "Face the Nation" that a "turning point" was coming successful Russia's warfare with Ukraine, saying tighter sanctions would springiness Trump a "sledgehammer" against Russia's economy. But Senate Republicans waited for months for the go-ahead from the administration, contempt enactment from the bulk of the chamber.

The South Carolina Republican met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy conscionable days agone successful Kyiv. Zelenskyy remembered Graham Sunday arsenic a "staunch advocator for bipartisan and bicameral enactment for Ukraine."

Turner, who was astatine past week's yearly NATO Summit alongside Graham and different lawmakers, said arsenic they met with Zelenskyy, "Lindsey Graham was making the constituent of the request for this sanctions bill."

Turner said "what's truthful bittersweet astir losing Lindsey" is, successful debates astir whether to prosecute a restrained "America First" overseas policy, "you tin beryllium America First and inactive recognize that it doesn't person to beryllium America alone."

"Allies privation America's voice. America's dependable is important. America needs to basal for state and ideology and liberty," Turner said. "And that's what they saw successful the dependable of Lindsey Graham."

The Ohio Republican said "what they saw successful Lindsey was idiosyncratic who was consenting to basal up and say, 'You're not alone. America is with you.'"

"He was that dependable with Ukraine," Turner added.

Turner said portion helium doesn't cognize whether GOP leaders person considered moving the sanctions bill, the House has passed a mentation of the legislation.

"So I cognize there's wide support," helium said. "There were much than a veto-proof fig of senators who co-sponsored it. With the White House's support, this measure could beryllium connected the president's table this week."

GOP Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas said successful a station connected X Sunday that helium would present a House mentation of Graham's Russia sanctions authorities this week, urging that "Congress should walk it successful his honor."

Shaheen said successful a connection to people Graham's passing that "there tin beryllium nary much fitting memorial to Lindsey, his legacy, oregon the causes helium fought for" than to walk the Russian sanctions authorities that the senators had announced White House enactment for days earlier. She cited Graham's "long-held imagination of an autarkic and unafraid Ukraine."

Blumenthal likewise urged Senate leaders to determination up connected the sanctions measure successful a connection honoring Graham. The Connecticut Democrats said helium volition "forever retrieve our past lengthy speech this weekend, erstwhile helium exulted astatine reaching an statement connected our Russian sanctions measure and said, 'this is simply a large effing woody – we each did good.'" 

"When we past spoke, helium was arsenic enthusiastic and exuberant arsenic I've ever seen him," Blumenthal said. "Passing the sanctions measure close distant would beryllium a fitting tribute."