Former Vice President Mike Pence has called on Congress to rename the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill in honor of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, highlighting Graham's long-standing commitment to tougher sanctions against Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on July 15, 2026, Pence described his final airport encounter with Graham, recalling how the senator urged him to persist in efforts to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pence quoted Graham saying, "You just stay on this. This is the way we're gonna get this done. This is the way you bring Putin to the table."

Pence emphasized that Graham viewed Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a defining geopolitical challenge and believed that economic pressure was essential to compelling Putin to negotiate. Having traveled to Ukraine twice since the invasion, Pence noted that Graham understood Ukraine as "a frontier of freedom" and consistently advocated for strong bipartisan support for America's allies.

Pence argued that renaming the sanctions bill after Graham would serve as a fitting tribute to one of the Senate's most influential national security hawks and urged Congress to pass the sanctions package with Graham's name attached and send it to President Donald Trump for signing into law.

Reflecting on Graham's passing, Pence expressed deep sadness, recalling their long history dating back to the Republican Revolution of the 1990s and their time serving together in Congress and the Trump administration.

Sources