Former Vice President Mike Pence is calling on Congress to rename bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation in honor of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, saying there would be "no more fitting tribute" to one of the Senate's most prominent national security advocates.
Graham died at age 71. The South Carolina Republican spent years championing tougher sanctions against Russia as a response to its invasion of Ukraine, working across party lines on legislation he hoped would force Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate.
"I also believe it'd be altogether fitting to put Sen. Lindsey Graham's name on that bill," Pence told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. "Send it to the president, have him sign it into law."
Pence said Graham viewed Russia's invasion of Ukraine as one of the defining geopolitical challenges of the era and believed economic pressure was essential to compelling Putin to the negotiating table.
What the Right Is Saying
Pence, who has traveled to Ukraine twice since Russia's invasion began, said Graham understood that Ukraine represented "a frontier of freedom" and consistently pushed both Republican and Democratic administrations to stand firmly with America's allies. He pointed to Graham's decades-long advocacy for Israel, Ukraine and NATO as defining features of the senator's public career.
"I really do believe there would be no more fitting tribute to the life and vision of Senator Lindsey Graham than for Congress to pass and the president to sign the tough Russia sanctions bill," Pence said. "I'm going to continue to champion that in the days ahead."
Republican lawmakers have largely praised the idea, with some noting that Graham's years of work on the sanctions package made him the natural namesake for legislation he helped craft through multiple iterations.
"He was a very serious legislator," Pence said. "A man who was deeply committed to policy."
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic lawmakers who worked with Graham on Ukraine policy have largely echoed bipartisan sentiments about his commitment to American alliances, though formal comment from Democratic leadership on renaming the legislation was not immediately available. The senator's push for Russia sanctions drew support from members of both parties throughout the yearslong effort.
Some progressive voices had previously expressed reservations about military aid to Ukraine but acknowledged Graham's consistency on national security issues spanning multiple administrations. Whether renaming the bill represents the most appropriate honor remains a question some Democrats have signaled they are still considering as legislative details develop.
"He never wavered" on confronting authoritarian regimes, Pence said of Graham's approach to nations including Russia, Iran and China.
What the Numbers Show
Graham spent years building bipartisan support for Russia sanctions, with multiple versions of the legislation advancing through Senate committees over several congressional sessions before reaching its current form. The exact legislative text and current status of companion measures were still being reviewed as of publication.
Pence noted that Graham remained active on the issue until his final months, including during their last conversation at Reagan National Airport outside Washington.
"He did one of those — puts his finger in my chest — and said, '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 recalled. "We parted with a handshake and a hug."
The Bottom Line
The push to rename Russia sanctions legislation after Graham represents an effort by his allies to cement his legislative legacy on an issue he championed for years. Whether Congress will act on the proposal remains to be seen, as legislative calendars and competing priorities could affect when or whether such a measure reaches a vote.
Pence said he learned of Graham's death Sunday morning and described feeling "taken aback" by the news. The former vice president said he first came to know Graham during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s before serving alongside him in Congress and later in the Trump administration.
"I really, really have a heavy heart to this hour," Pence said. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the administration would support renaming the legislation.