UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Russia sanctions Bill advances in U.S. House, set for final vote

Q1. Naming India as 'eligible' for the 100 per cent duty under the Hoyer amendment to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 carries which one of the following precise legal implications?

  • A. The duty can reach India only if the President exercises the discretionary tariff authority conferred by the Bill, which he may also waive on national-interest grounds
  • B. The duty attaches to Indian goods automatically on the date the Bill is signed into law, no further executive determination being needed
  • C. India must be granted a waiver unless it is shown to buy more than 15 per cent of Russia's total crude oil exports in the preceding financial year
  • D. Indian goods attract the duty only after the U.S. Senate separately ratifies a country-specific resolution naming India as a sanctioned purchaser

Q2. When the U.S. Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on 7 August 2026, how many Senators voted against it?

  • A. 6
  • B. 9
  • C. 11
  • D. 14

Q3. The amendments submitted to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, including the one naming India, were made public in September 2026 by which one of the following?

  • A. The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • B. The Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • C. The Committee on Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives
  • D. The Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of the U.S. Senate

Q4. Under Section 113 of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, continued purchases of Russian crude oil or natural gas attract the additional tariff of up to 100 per cent counting from how many days after the law takes effect?

  • A. 15 days
  • B. 30 days
  • C. 60 days
  • D. 90 days

Q5. Consider the following statements about the secondary-tariff mechanism created by the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026: 1. The tariff authority is confined to the largest purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas rather than extending to every buyer of Russian energy. 2. The rate is fixed at a uniform 100 per cent for every country covered, the President having no power to set lower country-specific rates. 3. The President may waive the measures on a determination that such waiver is in the national interest of the United States. 4. Once imposed, the tariffs are permanent for the named country and can be removed only by fresh legislation in both chambers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The tariff authority is confined to the largest purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas rather than extending to every buyer of Russian energy.
  2. The rate is fixed at a uniform 100 per cent for every country covered, the President having no power to set lower country-specific rates.
  3. The President may waive the measures on a determination that such waiver is in the national interest of the United States.
  4. Once imposed, the tariffs are permanent for the named country and can be removed only by fresh legislation in both chambers.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 1 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q6. Who was the principal Democratic co-lead who drove the Bill in the U.S. Senate alongside the late Senator Lindsey Graham?

  • A. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  • B. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democratic Senator from Connecticut
  • C. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate
  • D. Senator Chris Coons, Democratic Senator from Delaware

Q7. The amendment that put India by name into the list of countries eligible for the 100 per cent duty was submitted by which one of the following?

  • A. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democratic co-lead of the Bill in the Senate
  • B. Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican Senator the Act is named after
  • C. Representative Mike Johnson, Republican member of the House of Representatives
  • D. Representative Steny Hoyer, Democratic member of the House of Representatives

Q8. Consider the following statements about how a measure such as the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Bill moves through the U.S. Congress: 1. A special rule adopted by the House sets the terms and conditions of debate before the measure is taken up on the floor. 2. The Committee on Rules can in effect hold up a measure by declining to report a rule for its floor consideration. 3. A procedural vote adopting the terms of debate also amounts to final passage, dispensing with any separate vote on the measure itself. 4. A Bill passed by the Senate must be agreed to in identical text by the House before it can be presented to the President. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. A special rule adopted by the House sets the terms and conditions of debate before the measure is taken up on the floor.
  2. The Committee on Rules can in effect hold up a measure by declining to report a rule for its floor consideration.
  3. A procedural vote adopting the terms of debate also amounts to final passage, dispensing with any separate vote on the measure itself.
  4. A Bill passed by the Senate must be agreed to in identical text by the House before it can be presented to the President.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 only

Q9. The power of each chamber of the U.S. Congress to determine the rules of its own proceedings — the constitutional foundation of the House's special-rule practice — is drawn from which one of the following?

  • A. Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, dealing with the passage of Bills
  • B. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, dealing with the powers of Congress
  • C. Article I, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution, dealing with the proceedings of each House
  • D. Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, dealing with the powers of the President

Q10. The Iran component of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 operates by pushing back to 2031 the sunset date of which one of the following existing statutes?

  • A. The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010
  • B. The Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012
  • C. The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, penalising investment in Iran's energy sector
  • D. The Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012

Q11. Consider the following statements about the India-Russia energy trade background to the U.S. sanctions Bill: 1. Russia supplied about 30.3 per cent of India's crude oil imports in FY2026, worth about USD 40.8 billion. 2. India was the second-largest buyer of Russian crude, buying less than China. 3. The additional 25 per cent U.S. tariff on Indian goods linked to Russian oil purchases was withdrawn in February 2026. 4. The two largest Russian oil producers placed under U.S. sanctions were Gazprom and Novatek. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Russia supplied about 30.3 per cent of India's crude oil imports in FY2026, worth about USD 40.8 billion.
  2. India was the second-largest buyer of Russian crude, buying less than China.
  3. The additional 25 per cent U.S. tariff on Indian goods linked to Russian oil purchases was withdrawn in February 2026.
  4. The two largest Russian oil producers placed under U.S. sanctions were Gazprom and Novatek.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4