86 senators vote to move forward with Graham Russia sanctions bill

In a massive show of bipartisanship, 86 senators voted to move forward with a Russia and Iran sanctions bill that had been championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.Why it matters: The vote came hours after senators gathered to honor Graham's memory, and immediately following a closed-door meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The vote was 86-12. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Republican to vote against it.It is a procedural vote, but leadership hopes that the strong bipartisan support will allow for an expedited path to final passage.The details: The bill had been led by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and reached more than 60 co-sponsors this month.The legislation would impose 100% secondary tariffs on countries that continue buying Russian oil and gas.The bill also targets Russia's "shadow fleet" — the network of aging tankers used to evade Western sanctions while exporting Russian oil.It was also updated to renew sanctions on Iran set to expire after the end of the year.Between the lines: The sanctions package has long had wide bipartisan support, but concerns from the White House held it up for months.Graham had been the key negotiator with the White House, trying to adjust language to ensure President Trump's signature.After the senator's unexpected death, Trump indicated they would work to get the package done.Zoom in: Some Democrats were hesitant to vote for the package, concerned about Trump's use of tariffs,Zelenskyy and Finnish President s Alexander Stubb gave compelling arguments for the need for the sanctions and tariffs package, arguing that Russia is in a losing position, sources tell Axios.Zelenskyy watched the vote from the Senate chamber.