Michael T. McCaul
Representative for Texas · Republican · United States
“Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, and I thank Mr. Hoyer and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their strong support. For me, this is also personal. Lindsey Graham was my friend and my mentor. We shared a fundamental belief: that America is strongest at home when it projects strength abroad.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“When we look back at this moment in time, I want to be able to say that we used all the tools available to end this war, that we understood the threat, that we had the courage to do what was right to stand up to cripple the Russian war machine and turn the tide toward peace, to be on the right side of history.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is a critical time in history, a time my friend Lindsey Graham described as a magic moment, a moment that we cannot afford to waste. America's adversaries--Russia, China, and North Korea--are working together to threaten the free world.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“It is false arguments about an expansion of tariff authority when it is actually limited to our adversaries buying energy from Russia. The premise is that we don't like the President, so let's just do nothing. Let's do nothing as we go into the wintertime when we know the fighting will intensify. We don't have time to wait.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“They need to know that we are not divided when it comes to our national security. The Senate, as has been stated, passed this bill 86-11 for God's sake. That is an overwhelming bipartisan support, and now it is time for the House to unite and do the same.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“This does not provide broad, sweeping tariff authority. That is a fiction. With respect to support, President Zelenskyy supports this bill. I was at the Ukrainian Embassy last night with the Ukrainian Acting Foreign Minister and the President of the European Commission, so to say that Europe doesn't support this is absolutely false.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
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“This bill will have a direct impact on the conflict threatening Eastern Europe and NATO itself and can bring this to an end and get Putin to the negotiating table. As President Zelenskyy told me, he is ready for a cease-fire. He is ready to negotiate. {time} 1020 It is Mr. Putin that will not call for a ceasefire. He will not negotiate. This bill will bring him to the table. That is why, Mr. Speaker, it is so important at this time in history. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“When we look back at this moment in time, I want to be able to say that we used all the tools available to end this war, that we understood the threat, that we had the courage to do what was right to stand up to cripple the Russian war machine and turn the tide toward peace, to be on the right side of history. In his final press conference, Senator Graham said: ``I have never been more optimistic than I am today that we have the formula to end this war.'' This is a formula, this bill, and I couldn't agree more with the late Lindsey Graham, my friend and mentor. Let me be clear that a vote for this bill is a vote for Ukraine and the free world. A vote against this bill is a vote for Putin and his unholy alliance. Mr. Speaker, we don't have many votes like this in Congress that impact global geopolitical conflicts.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“They need to know that we are not divided when it comes to our national security. The Senate, as has been stated, passed this bill 86-11 for God's sake. That is an overwhelming bipartisan support, and now it is time for the House to unite and do the same. If this bill fails, the message that that will send to our adversaries--Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, all who want to see this bill go down today--will be celebrating in the streets. Make no mistake: Putin is watching. President Xi is watching. The Ayatollah is watching. Kim Jong-un is watching. Why? Because they are our adversaries. If the United States can't rally around such broadly supported legislation, what message would that send to them? This is a critical national security issue, but it also is a moral issue that requires moral courage.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“It is false arguments about an expansion of tariff authority when it is actually limited to our adversaries buying energy from Russia. The premise is that we don't like the President, so let's just do nothing. Let's do nothing as we go into the wintertime when we know the fighting will intensify. We don't have time to wait. Ukraine doesn't have time to wait. That is precisely why President Zelenskyy told me when I was in Ukraine right after Senator Graham announced this legislation--and I had been working with him for a year on this--that now is the time. There was excitement in the air. The EU Commissioner supports this bill. Our allies support this bill. We are free to have disagreements. That is democracy. But when we are addressing our adversaries, we need to speak as one, with one voice, as one Nation.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I was at the Ukraine Embassy last night, and when I announced to them that the rule had passed to allow this bill to go to the floor for final passage, I got a standing ovation. I got a standing ovation from the ambassador and all supporters of Ukraine. When I chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee, I often said partisanship stops at the water's edge, and I still believe that. Mr. Meeks and I did pass the emergency wartime supplemental bill that gave Ukraine a lifeline to prevent occupation from Russia so they could advance in their drone technology. I am a bit disheartened by some of my colleagues' remarks here today because they don't reflect that principle. In fact, it is just all about the President.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I supported that bill. I voted for it, but that is not the bill before us here today. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), my dear friend and the chairman of the Appropriations Committee.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), my dear friend.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just respond. The gentleman says we have time to wait. I was in Ukraine 3 nights. I was on the front lines but also 3 nights in Kyiv getting shelled every night by ballistic missiles. They just bombed the train that goes from Kyiv to Warsaw just recently, killing innocent civilians. We do not have time to wait. We need to do this now as Ukraine is under fire every day. These are targeted tariffs pursuant to the Supreme Court's recent ruling under Article I of Congress' constitutional authority, not the executive. It does not tariff our allies. Let me make that clear. That is why the President of the EU Commission supports this bill. It punishes our adversaries through targeted tariffs on Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Mr.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), one of the top, if not the top, supporters of Ukraine in the United States House of Representatives and my dear friend.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“This does not provide broad, sweeping tariff authority. That is a fiction. With respect to support, President Zelenskyy supports this bill. I was at the Ukrainian Embassy last night with the Ukrainian Acting Foreign Minister and the President of the European Commission, so to say that Europe doesn't support this is absolutely false. The EU Ambassador to the United Nations and President Biden's former Ambassador to Ukraine support this, as well as all NATO countries. I would address that, if I could, head-on. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the letter from Ambassador Greer to Senator Warnock. The Unied States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President, Washington, August 6, 2026. Hon. Raphael Warnock, U.S. Senate, Washington DC. Dear Senator Warnock: Regarding our conversation on Sec.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, it is no secret the ranking member and I are good friends. We will disagree with civility. The President did sanction the VTB Bank, one of the largest banks in Russia, just yesterday. With respect to broad, sweeping tariff authority, that is absolutely a false argument. The fact is, the rule construction in the bill says: ``Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the imposition of duties . . . from any country not expressly described.'' Ambassador Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, sent a letter to Senator Warnock that got his approval in the Senate--an 86-11 vote, by the way. It basically said that, absent legal basis, such duties cannot be maintained. In other words, you cannot go beyond the prescribed language in the statute--the top five importers of Russian energy.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Again, this is all tied together, and in 2024, I spoke about the Iranian drones being used by Russia to kill Ukrainians. In return, Russia is reportedly providing target information to the IRGC. We cannot look at one part of this threat and ignore the others. This bill leverages our economic strength to make it harder for these regimes to finance aggression. Lindsey Graham once said that this bill would be his greatest achievement. I can think of no better way, Mr. Speaker, to honor his life and his legacy than by passing these tough sanctions, which will force Mr. Putin to the negotiating table. Evil is on the march. History is calling, and now is the time to act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“They have kidnapped countless children, tortured and indoctrinated them, and sent them to fight on the front lines against their own country. We have a moral responsibility here today, Mr. Speaker, to bring an end to this suffering, but this is also a matter of national security. If Putin is rewarded for invading a sovereign nation, if he succeeds, he has already told us he will go further. His army will move into Moldova, to Georgia, and the Baltic states. Just like Putin wants to bring back the power of the Soviet Union, also President Xi of China wants to restore Imperial China. These dictators must be deterred before it is too late. This legislation also extends sanctions on Iran, which are set to expire at the end of this year.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“In fact, President Zelenskyy's sanction expert, whom I personally met with in Kyiv, told me: Tariffs are a powerful way to amplify the impact of sanctions. That is why they are the teeth of this bill. Pursuant to the bill's rule of construction, only the top five importers of Russian oil will be tariffed. If a country falls off of the top-five list, the tariffs are removed. It incentivizes a race to the bottom. These countries have a choice to make about whether they will continue to sustain Putin's aggression. Putin believes he can keep financing this war indefinitely. We need to change that calculation and bleed his regime economically dry, because the Kremlin has murdered thousands of civilians in cold blood. They've bombed sacred churches and schools.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, and I thank Mr. Hoyer and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their strong support. For me, this is also personal. Lindsey Graham was my friend and my mentor. We shared a fundamental belief: that America is strongest at home when it projects strength abroad. This legislation does exactly that. It targets the money that fuels Russia's war machine. It sanctions Russian officials and oligarchs, banks, and financial institutions, and the shadow fleet that helps keep Russian energy moving. Through precisely targeted tariffs, it also punishes countries providing financial support for the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Why? Because, as we have heard from President Zelenskyy's team, you can evade sanctions, which the Russians have done for years, but you cannot evade tariffs.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is a critical time in history, a time my friend Lindsey Graham described as a magic moment, a moment that we cannot afford to waste. America's adversaries--Russia, China, and North Korea--are working together to threaten the free world. Make no mistake, they are watching what we do here today because they know that they will suffer if this bill is passed. Senator Lindsey Graham understood these global threats well, and that is why we spent more than a year working together on this bill. He brought Republicans and Democrats together and secured the White House's support. Today, we have a chance to finish his work, to help end this war in Europe, and to project peace through strength around the globe. I am proud to champion the Lindsey O.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution Number 1530, I call up the bill (H.R. 5334) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood educators to take the educator expense deduction, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendments thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Goodlander) as a cosponsor of H.R. 10076.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“I also thank the heroes, those who have served this country in harm's way, those who have put their lives at risk who are suffering from these diseases today for their service. We owe it to them to pass this legislation.”
House of Representatives22 July 2026Source ↗
“This amendment--and I thank the chairman for supporting it--will take us to that point where we can now save their lives, where they don't have to worry about suicide and they don't have to be on 30 medications, for God sakes, to treat their addiction, to treat their PTSD when we know we have a medicine that works. The evidence, the data, and the Stanford study are all there to save their lives. I urge my colleagues to vote for this measure. Again, I thank all my colleagues, including the chairman and Morgan Luttrell for their support. I thank the Energy and Commerce Committee for their work to bring all of this to the floor, not only today but in future legislation.”
House of Representatives22 July 2026Source ↗
“My home State of Texas passed legislation to provide clinical trials to veterans for ibogaine. I thank my former Governor, Rick Perry, and Mr. Bryan Hubbard, Americans for Ibogaine, for leading this effort. I thank Morgan Luttrell and Marcus, his brother, who we all know from the ``Lone Survivor'' story. Ibogaine saved their lives, and we have heard the testimony from them about the effectiveness of this medicine. It is time, Mr. Chair, to make this medicine available to our veterans here in the United States at our VA clinics across the Nation.”
House of Representatives22 July 2026Source ↗
“I know personally how much this means to our Nation's heroes because I have talked to them, the Special Operations Association, to people, veterans across this Nation who are clamoring for a solution to their problem, and we have one. They should not have to travel to Mexico to receive this treatment. Countless vets have told me that they were going to give this one shot before they committed suicide. They went down. They experienced ibogaine, and they came back cured. Stanford University did a study on 30 veterans with TBI and PTSD, verified through MRI brain scans, where it was demonstrated that ibogaine actually regenerated brain tissue and helped them get over their addiction to opioids and resolve their PTSD and TBI. This needs to be available in the United States of America now in clinical trials to our veterans.”
House of Representatives22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Chair, I thank our chairman for his great work on this National Defense Authorization Act. As always, he has delivered. Mr. Chair, every day our Nation loses 17 veterans to suicide. These are men and women who survived combat but then lost to a quiet and longer war against the invisible wounds that they carried with them. Since the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, many of them are asking: Was it worth it? Well, we are providing a solution to that problem here today. I thank my colleague, Mr. Luttrell, for his service as a Navy SEAL and also for introducing this amendment to increase veterans' access to ibogaine.”
House of Representatives22 July 2026Source ↗