Putin, Russia put on notice as Senate takes crucial step to grind down the Kremlin’s war machine

By Fox News · Fox News

The Senate took its first major step in fulfilling one of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s biggest desires: levying bone-crushing sanctions against Russia. A bipartisan swell carried the sanctions package through its first hurdle, which has gone through several iterations in the time since it was first formulated by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "The basic, core function of the bill is to stop purchases of Russian oil and gas from fueling Putin’s war machine, and we're at a really pivotal time for Ukraine," Blumenthal said. LINDSEY GRAHAM'S FINAL MISSION NEARS FINISH LINE AS WORLD LEADERS GATHER TO HONOR HIM And the package that survived Tuesday night, just hours after lawmakers, world leaders and family said their last Washington, D.C., goodbyes to the longtime senator has once again been revamped. A bipartisan group led by Blumenthal and Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who picked up her older brother’s sanctions crusade, announced that a deal had been reached to rename the package in honor of the late lawmaker, and tack on additional sanctions against Iran. Lawmakers argue that the best way to remember Graham, and cement his legacy into law, is to pass the newly-minted Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, particularly as a symbol of his ferocious support for Ukraine. LINDSEY GRAHAM'S SISTER CARRIES ON LATE SENATOR'S WORK, BECOMING SOUTH CAROLINA'S FIRST FEMALE SENATOR Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital that "literally the first conversation I ever had with Lindsey Graham was about Russia sanctions." "I know he was very passionate about this and I know that sanctions are one of the best tools we have for bringing wars to an end without having to commit any of our military," Husted said. The bill, as Blumenthal noted, still focuses on kneecapping Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort by targeting Moscow’s top financial gainer: oil and gas sales. BRINGING THE WAR TO PUTIN’S FRONT DOOR: IS UKRAINE’S ENERGY STRIKE STRATEGY WO…