Proposal to include 'Act of Georgian People' in U.S. National Defense Authorization Act
MEGOBARI Act in U.S. Defense law
According to details posted on the U.S. Congress website, Senator Jeanne Shaheen has proposed including the “Act of Georgian People” in the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act. This act would impose sanctions on representatives of Georgia’s ruling party and provide assistance to the country’s civil society.
Senator Jim Risch is also a co-author of this act alongside Shaheen.
“Ms. Shaheen has introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which allocates funding for the Department of Defense’s military activities, military construction, Department of Energy’s defense activities, or other purposes through the 2025 fiscal year,” as reported on the Congress website.
If Shaheen’s proposal is accepted, the United States could halt military and material aid to Georgia, and suspend strategic dialogue between the two countries.
What is the “Act of Georgian People”?
In response to Georgia’s parliament passing a law on “foreign agents,” U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Jim Risch drafted the legislative proposal “Act of Georgian People,” which was registered in the Senate on May 24th.
The “Act” consists of two parts.
The first part outlines the consequences for representatives of the Georgian government and specific individuals responsible for obstructing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as for human rights violations and corruption. Alongside the imposition of various sanctions against these individuals, the State Department is required to develop a long-term strategy regarding Georgia, including a review of military aid, and to freeze all funding aimed at supporting the Georgian government. This part also calls for the suspension of the strategic dialogue between the U.S. and Georgia.
The second part emphasizes the U.S. Senate’s commitment to supporting Georgia’s civil society in light of recent events. The Act authorizes allocating no less than $50 million to support democracy and rule of law projects in Georgia and requires the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to determine the best ways to support Georgia’s civil society. It also mandates the submission of two reports to assess foreign influence in Georgia and efforts to support Georgian political prisoners.
On July 11th, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the “MEGOBARI Act” by a majority vote, initiated by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson. According to this Act, individuals responsible for the adoption or potential implementation of Georgia’s “foreign agents” law could face sanctions, but support to the country will be strengthened “if Georgia reinforces its democratic, Western course.”
