Lawmakers Threaten Georgia With Sanctions Over 'Foreign Agents' Bill

Leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said May 13 they might pursue financial sanctions and other measures against Georgia if the country’s government doesn't withdraw a “foreign agents” bill that would crack down on civil society organizations and independent media outlets.

The bill, which is pending in Georgia's parliament, would undermine the government's commitment to expanding democracy and strengthening ties with the West, the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Georgia Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

“The situation in Georgia is clear,” the letter says. “The government can choose to listen to the voices of the Georgian people or continue down a dark road to Russian-style authoritarianism. We state, in no uncertain terms, that choosing this latter path would cause the United States to fundamentally reassess the nature of our relationship.”

The letter was led by Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Reps. Thomas Kean Jr., R-N.J., and William Keating, D-Mass., chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe.

A bipartisan group of 25 House members, including Congressional Georgia Caucus co-chairs Austin Scott, R-Ga., and Gerald Connolly, D-Va., also signed the letter. The Georgian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fourteen senators, led by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, sent a similar letter to Kobakhidze in April.