U.S. House Committee Approves GD Non-Recognition Amendment for Inclusion in State Dep. Bill
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has adopted the Georgian Dream government’s non-recognition amendment for inclusion in the State Department Authorization Act, Rep. Joe Wilson and Washington-based correspondent Alex Raufoglu reported on September 19.
The amendment, initiated by Rep. Wilson, a staunch critic of Georgian Dream, states: “No Federal official or employee may take any action, and no Federal funds may be made available, to recognize or otherwise imply, in any manner, United States recognition of the current Georgian Dream-led Government in Georgia.”
The State Department Authorization Act is a bipartisan bill, introduced in September as a standalone measure, that provides policy direction and funding guidance for the U.S. Department of State. For it to become law, it must be approved by both the House and the Senate and then signed by the President. In recent years, Congress has often incorporated this authorization into the broader National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) rather than passing it separately.
“I am so grateful that my GEORGIAN NIGHTMARE NON-RECOGNITION amendment has been ADOPTED for inclusion [in] the State Department Authorization Act!” – Wilson, who is also a co-sponsor of the bipartisan MEGOBARI Act that codifies sanctions on GD members, wrote on X as he shared the amendment. “Insulting America while embracing Communist China, Iran, and Russia is a one-way ticket to isolation.”
A screen capture Wilson posted shows the amendment has been made to the Department of State Policy Provisions Act (H.R. 5300), introduced in the House on September 11. The amendment, as seen on the screen capture, is under Section 313 of Georgia, which otherwise reaffirms the U.S. non-recognition of the Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Raufoglu reported that the amendment was “overwhelmingly” approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Opposition United National Movement (UNM) chair Tina Bokuchava, who is visiting Washington and met with Rep. Wilson and the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed the adoption of the amendment, writing on Facebook that the move is “an additional opportunity for the adoption of the MEGOBARI Act in the U.S. Congress.”
The MEGOBARI Act, which passed the House in July with overwhelming bipartisan support, is awaiting consideration in the Senate, where Sen. Markwayne Mullin is reportedly blocking its swift adoption.
Note: the article was amended on October 10, 2025, to reflect that Tina Bokuchava met with “the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,” not Sen. Jim Risch, as previously indicated.
Also Read:
- 11/09/2025 – U.S. Helsinki Commission Holds Hearing on Georgia’s “Anti-American Turn”
- 09/01/2025 – “Georgian Nightmare Non-Recognition Act” Introduced in U.S. Congress
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