“The Senate passed the sanctions law with a vote of 86-11.” — Thom Tillis. Our verdict: Unverified.
Thom Tillis made the claim in comments reported by the Deccan Herald, in an article about President Trump and a sanctions waiver for Russia, dated 18 October 2026.
Our verdict
Unverified
We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute Thom Tillis's claim that the Senate passed a sanctions law by 86-11. One news report gives that tally, but no official Senate record or second independent source backs it up.
Know something that settles it? Send us evidenceWhat we found
The claim rests on a single news report. NBC News reported on 16 September 2026 that the Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by 86-11. That is one reputable source, but our standard is two independent reputable sources or an official record, and neither is present here.
Official Senate records show different votes on different bills. The Senate passed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act on 27 July 2017 by 98-2, and voted 97-2-1 on 14 June 2017 on an amendment to S. 722 imposing sanctions on Russia. Those relate to 2017 legislation, not the 2026 bill in the claim, so they neither confirm nor refute the 86-11 figure.
Other material confirms that a 2026 sanctions bill passed the Senate but gives no vote count, and the remaining sources only record what was said or offer legal analysis. With no official roll call for the 2026 bill showing 86-11, we cannot verify the claim. If you have evidence that settles it, please send it to us.
The evidence
2 contradict and 2 support the claim, of 7 sources.
- Background
The Deccan Herald quotes Senator Thom Tillis saying the Senate passed a sanctions law by a vote of 86-11. This records the claim but does not verify it. [1]
- Supports the claim
NBC News reported on 16 September 2026 that the Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by 86-11. This is the only source we found that gives that tally. [2]
- Contradicts the claim
The official Senate roll call shows the Senate passed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act on 27 July 2017 by 98-2. This is a different bill from the one in the claim. [3]
- Contradicts the claim
The official Senate roll call shows a 97-2-1 vote on 14 June 2017 to agree to an amendment to S. 722 imposing sanctions on Russia. This concerns 2017 legislation, not the 2026 bill. [4]
- Background
A legal analysis confirms that CAATSA (H.R. 3364) was signed into law on 2 August 2017 after passing both chambers with bipartisan support, but it does not give a Senate vote count. [5]
- Supports the claim
The Senate daily press entry for 14 June 2017 records the 97-2 vote on the Crapo amendment on Russian sanctions and scheduled votes on other amendments and final passage of S. 722. It does not cover the 2026 bill. [6]
- Background
Coverage confirms that a 2026 sanctions bill, H.R.5334, passed the Senate, but it does not provide a vote count, leaving the 86-11 figure unverified. [2]
What we could not confirm
- Whether the Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by exactly 86-11, which no official Senate roll call or second independent source confirms.
- The official Senate roll call vote record for the 2026 sanctions bill, which we could not find.
How we checked
We looked for an official Senate roll call vote for the 2026 sanctions bill and for a second independent reputable report giving the 86-11 tally. We also reviewed official Senate records and legal analysis of earlier sanctions legislation to see whether they supported the figure. We reviewed 6 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]Deccan Herald · Many don’t know what my decision is: Trump on sanctions waiver to Russia
- [2]NBC News · House passes Russia sanctions bill named for Lindsey Graham, sending it to Trump · September 16, 2026
- [3]U.S. Senate · U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress - 1st Session · July 27, 2017
- [4]U.S. Senate · U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress - 1st Session · June 14, 2017
- [5]Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP · President Trump Signs Sanctions Legislation Targeting Russia, North Korea and Iran, Creating New Compliance Risks for U.S. and Non-U.S. Companies · August 3, 2017
- [6]U.S. Senate · Wednesday, June 14, 2017 - U.S. Senate Daily Press · June 14, 2017
- [7]Photo: United States Senate Photography / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Help us check this claim
We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute this claim. If you know of an official record, dataset, transcript or report that settles it, send us the link. We review every submission and update this fact check when the evidence changes the picture.
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