U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) rejected a “personal request” from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) in November to advance the MEGOBARI Act, bill that would impose sanctions on Georgian Dream officials, The Hill reported on December 3, citing two congressional aides.
According to The Hill, Johnson wanted to include the bill in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual must-pass defense bill. The outlet said this marked the “second time in three months” that Thune had blocked a bipartisan effort to add the legislation to the NDAA.
The MEGOBARI Act is a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Congress calling for support for Georgia’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and sanctions on Georgian Dream officials accused of corruption, anti-democratic actions, and the country’s rapprochement with U.S. adversaries, including Russia, China, and Iran.
The bill passed the House of Representatives in May with strong bipartisan support but has since stalled in the Senate and faces expiration if Congress does not act before the end of the 119th session in late 2026.
The Hill also said Johnson’s intervention came as a surprise.
“Speaker Johnson’s lobbying was welcome but seemed to come out of nowhere,” one congressional aide told the outlet. “We thought the bill was dead after Thune shot it down in September. We tried hard to get the bill into the NDAA at the last minute at the Speaker’s request, but couldn’t overcome Thune’s opposition.”
Thune held firm opposition to advancing the bill. “He just said flat no,” another aide told The Hill.
Neither Thune’s nor Johnson’s offices responded to The Hill’s requests for comment.
In August, an earlier attempt to include the MEGOBARI Act in the NDAA was reportedly blocked by several senators, including Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin.
Civil.ge is clarifying future steps regarding the bill.
Also Read:
- 30/09/2025 – Op-Ed | No Benefit, No Spotlight: Trump Administration’s Georgia Policy
- 19/09/2025 – U.S. House Committee Approves GD Non-Recognition Amendment for Inclusion in State Dep. Bill
- 11/09/2025 – U.S. Helsinki Commission Holds Hearing on Georgia’s “Anti-American Turn”
- 14/05/2025 – GD Parliament: MEGOBARI Act “Extremely Hostile” and “Factually Flawed”