[Pages H1195-H1198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

UPHOLDING THE DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT THROUGH SANCTIONS ACT

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4723) to provide for the imposition of sanctions with
respect to foreign persons undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement or
threatening the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 4723

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Upholding the Dayton Peace
Agreement Through Sanctions Act''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to support Bosnia and Herzegovina's sovereignty,
territorial integrity, multi-ethnic character and the
prosperity of the Republika Srpska entity, the Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina entity, and the Brcko District within
one Bosnia and Herzegovina;
(2) to support Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards
Euro-Atlantic integration;
(3) to encourage officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina to
resume institutional participation at all levels of
government to advance functionality and common-sense reforms
for greater prosperity;
(4) to call on Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement the
rulings of the European Court of Human Rights;
(5) to support the robust use of targeted sanctions against
persons who undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, as well as
the democratic institutions and Constitution of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, to support peace and stability in that country;
(6) to urge the European Union to join the United States
and United Kingdom in sanctioning Milorad Dodik, a member of
the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for his actions
that undermine the stability and territorial integrity of
Bosnia and Herzegovina;
(7) to expose and condemn the Government of Russia for its
role in fueling instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and
undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement, the role of the
Office of the High Representative, and the European Union
Force in BiH's Operation Althea;
(8) to work with other regional states, including Serbia
and Croatia, to support the territorial integrity and
stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and
(9) to encourage the United States to use its voice and
vote at the United Nations, the Peace Implementation Council
and its Steering Board, and other relevant international
bodies to support the Office of the High Representative.

SEC. 3. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO FOREIGN
PERSONS UNDERMINING THE DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT
OR THREATENING THE SECURITY OF BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA.

(a) Imposition of Sanctions.--
(1) List required.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter,
the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a list of foreign persons that are determined--
(A) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have
directly or indirectly engaged in, any action or policy that
threatens the peace, security, stability, or territorial
integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including actions that
seek to undermine the authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina's
state-level institutions, such as forming illegal parallel
institutions or actions that threaten the Office of the High
Representative;
(B) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have
directly or indirectly engaged in, any action or policy that
undermines democratic processes or institutions in Bosnia and
Herzegovina;
(C) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have
directly or indirectly engaged in, or to have attempted, a
violation of, or an act that has obstructed or threatened the
implementation of, the Dayton Peace Agreement or the
Conclusions of the Peace Implementation Conference Council
held in London in December 1995, including the decisions or
conclusions of the Office of the High Representative, the
Peace Implementation Council, or its Steering Board;
(D) to be a member, official, or senior leader of an
illegal parallel institution or any other institution that
engages in activities described in subparagraph (A), (B) or
(C), as determined by the Secretary of State;
(E) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have
directly or indirectly engaged in, or attempted to engage in,
corruption related to Bosnia and Herzegovina, including
corruption by, on behalf of, or otherwise related to the
government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or a current or former
government official at any level of government in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, such as the misappropriation of public assets,
expropriation of private assets for personal gain or
political purposes, corruption related to government
contracts or the extraction of natural resources or bribery;
(F) to be an adult family member of any foreign person
described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E), unless
the President determines that the adult family member--
(i) has condemned the activity or activities of the foreign
person described in any such subparagraph; and
(ii) has taken tangible steps to oppose the activity or
activities;
(G) to have knowingly facilitated a significant transaction
or transactions for or on behalf of a foreign person
described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E);

[[Page H1196]]

(H) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or
purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly,
a foreign person described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C),
(D), or (E); or
(I) to have knowingly materially assisted, sponsored, or
provided financial, material, or technological support for,
or goods or services to or in support of, a foreign person
described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E).
(2) Imposition of sanctions.--Upon the submission of each
list required by paragraph (1), the President shall impose
the sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to
each foreign person identified on the list.
(b) Additional Measure Relating to Facilitation of
Transactions.--The Secretary of the Treasury may, in
consultation with the Secretary of State, prohibit or impose
strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United
States of a correspondent account or payable-through account
by a foreign financial institution that the President
determines has, on or after the date of the enactment of this
Act, knowingly conducted or facilitated a significant
transaction or transactions on behalf of a foreign person on
the list required by subsection (a)(1).
(c) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Property blocking.--Notwithstanding the requirements of
section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers
Act (50 U.S.C. 1701), the President may exercise of all
powers granted to the President by that Act to the extent
necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in all
property and interests in property of the foreign person if
such property and interests in property are in the United
States, come within the United States, or are or come within
the possession or control of a United States person.
(2) Aliens inadmissible for visas, admission, or parole.--
(A) In general.--An alien on the list required by
subsection (a)(1) is--
(i) inadmissible to the United States;
(ii) ineligible for a visa or travel to the United States;
and
(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into
the United States or to receive any other benefit under the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(B) Current visas revoked.--
(i) In general.--The visa or other documentation issued to
an alien on the list required by subsection (a)(1) shall be
revoked, regardless of when such visa or other documentation
is or was issued.
(ii) Effect of revocation.--A visa or other entry
documentation revoked under clause (i) shall, in accordance
with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1201(i)), no longer be valid for travel to the United
States.
(d) Exceptions.--
(1) Exception for intelligence, law enforcement, and
national security activities.--Sanctions under this section
shall not apply to any authorized intelligence, law
enforcement, or national security activities of the United
States.
(2) Exception to comply with united nations headquarters
agreement.--Sanctions under subsection (c)(2) shall not apply
with respect to the admission of an alien to the United
States if the admission of the alien is necessary to permit
the United States to comply with the Agreement regarding the
Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success
June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947,
between the United Nations and the United States, the
Convention on Consular Relations, done at Vienna April 24,
1963, and entered into force March 19, 1967, or other
applicable international obligations.
(3) Exception relating to the provision of humanitarian
assistance.--Sanctions under this section may not be imposed
with respect to transactions or the facilitation of
transactions for--
(A) the sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine,
or medical devices;
(B) the provision of humanitarian assistance;
(C) financial transactions relating to humanitarian
assistance or for humanitarian purposes; and
(D) transporting goods or services that are necessary to
carry out operations relating to humanitarian assistance or
humanitarian purposes.
(4) Exception relating to the importation of goods.--
(A) In general.--The authorities and requirements under
this section shall not include the authority or a requirement
to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.
(B) Good defined.--In this section, the term ``good'' means
any article, natural or manmade substance, material, supply,
or manufactured product, including inspection and test
equipment, and excluding technical data.
(e) Waiver.--The President may, on a case-by-case basis and
for periods not to exceed 180 days each, waive the
application of sanctions or restrictions imposed with respect
to a foreign person under this section if the President
certifies to the appropriate congressional committees not
later than 15 days before such waiver is to take effect that
the waiver is vital to the national security interests of the
United States.
(f) Regulations.--
(1) In general.--The President shall, not later than 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, prescribe
regulations as necessary for the implementation of this Act.
(2) Notification to congress.--Not later than 10 days
before the prescription of regulations under paragraph (1),
the President shall notify the appropriate congressional
committees regarding the proposed regulations and the
provisions of this Act that the regulations are implementing.
(g) Implementation.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702
and 1704) to carry out this Act.
(h) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in subsections
(b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person
that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or
causes a violation of regulations prescribed to carry out
this Act to the same extent that such penalties apply to a
person that commits an unlawful act described in subsection
(a) of such section 206.
(i) Termination of Sanctions.--The President may terminate
the application of sanctions under this section with respect
to a foreign person if the President determines and reports
to the appropriate congressional committees not later than 15
days before the termination of the sanctions that--
(1) credible information exists that the foreign person did
not engage in the activity for which sanctions were imposed;
(2) the foreign person has been prosecuted and sentenced
appropriately for the activity for which sanctions were
imposed; or
(3) the foreign person has credibly demonstrated a
significant change in behavior, has paid an appropriate
consequence for the activity for which sanctions were
imposed, and has credibly committed to not engage in an
activity described in subsection (a)(1) in the future.

SEC. 4. CODIFICATION OF SANCTIONS RELATING TO THE WESTERN
BALKANS.

(a) In General.--Each sanction imposed through Executive
orders described in subsection (b), including each sanction
imposed with respect to a person under such an Executive
order, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, shall
remain in effect, except as provided in subsection (c).
(b) Executive Orders Specified.--The Executive orders
specified in this subsection are--
(1) Executive Order 13219 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to
blocking property of persons who threaten international
stabilization efforts in the Western Balkans), as in effect
on the date of the enactment of this Act; and
(2) Executive Order 14033 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to
blocking property and suspending entry into the United States
of certain persons contributing to the destabilizing
situation in the Western Balkans), as in effect on such date
of enactment.
(c) Termination of Sanctions.--The President may terminate
the application of a sanction described in subsection (a)
with respect to a person if the President certifies to the
appropriate congressional committees that--
(1) such person--
(A) is not engaging in the activity that was the basis for
such sanctions; or
(B) has taken significant verifiable steps toward stopping
such activity; and
(2) the President has received reliable assurances that
such person will not knowingly engage in activity subject to
such sanctions in the future.
(d) Sanctions Relating to the Importation of Goods
Unchanged.--This section may not be construed to create any
new authorities or requirements related to sanctions on the
importation of goods.

SEC. 5. CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION IN IMPOSING
SANCTIONS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after receiving a
request from the chairman and ranking member of one of the
appropriate congressional committees with respect to whether
a person or foreign person, as the case may be, meets the
criteria of a person described in section 3(a)(1) or a person
described in Executive Order 13219 or Executive Order 14033
as provided for in section 4(b), or any Executive order
issued pursuant to this Act or under the Balkans regulatory
regime, the President shall--
(1) determine if the person or foreign person, as the case
may be, meets such criteria; and
(2) submit a classified or unclassified report to such
chairman and ranking member with respect to such
determination that includes a statement of whether or not the
President imposed or intends to impose sanctions with respect
to such person or foreign person.
(b) Sunset.--This section shall terminate on the date that
is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Admitted; alien.--The terms ``admitted'' and ``alien''
have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
(3) Correspondent account; payable-through account.--The
terms ``correspondent account'' and ``payable-through

[[Page H1197]]

account'' have the meanings given those terms in section
5318A of title 31, United States Code.
(4) Dayton peace agreement.--The term ``Dayton Peace
Agreement'', also known as the ``Dayton Accords'', means the
General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, initialed by the parties in Dayton, Ohio, on
November 21, 1995, and signed in Paris on December 14, 1995.
(5) Foreign financial institution.--The term ``foreign
financial institution'' has the meaning of that term as
determined by the Secretary of the Treasury by regulation.
(6) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means a
person that is not a United States person.
(7) Illegal parallel institution.--The term ``illegal
parallel institution'' means an agency, structure, or
instrumentality at the Republika Srpska entity level that
disrupts the authority of the state-level institutions of
Bosnia and Herzegovina and undermines its constitutional
order.
(8) Knowingly.--The term ``knowingly'', with respect to
conduct, a circumstance, or a result, means that a person has
actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the
circumstance, or the result.
(9) Person.--The term ``person'' means an individual or
entity.
(10) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted
to the United States for permanent residence;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States
or any jurisdiction within the United States, including a
foreign branch of such an entity; or
(C) any person in the United States.

SEC. 7. SUNSET.

This Act and the authorities provided by this Act shall
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Missouri.

General Leave

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in 1995, the Dayton Accords brought an end to more than
3 horrific years of war and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina and
ushered in a new era of peace.
Today, this peace is being threatened. Self-serving, corrupt
politicians like Milorad Dodik are engaged in a sustained attack on
Bosnia's unity, sovereignty, and multiethnic character.
As Dodik and his cronies know well, a prosperous and western-facing
Bosnia and Herzegovina threatens their personal power and ill-gotten
wealth. They are willing to tear the country apart to maintain control
over their illicit patronage networks, aided and abetted by the
destructive Putin regime, which fears Bosnia's integration with the
west.
Dodik, who has been under U.S. sanctions for more than 2 years,
continues to threaten secession in public interviews and through
reckless and inflammatory policies.
According to Treasury, he: ``Has used his official BiH position and a
network of personal ties and companies to accumulate personal wealth
through graft, bribery, and other forms of corruption.''
These actions have drastic consequences. The 2024 Annual Threat
Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community concluded that the
Western Balkans will face an increased risk of localized interethnic
violence during 2024.
At a time when the United States faces conflicts and crises around
the world, we cannot afford to see the Western Balkans descend into
chaos.
The Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian war may be flawed,
but it is holding Bosnia together during this period of rising ethnic
tension, corruption, and Russian aggression. However, because of the
reckless actions of a few cynical elite, Bosnia's stability and
sovereignty are at risk.
As a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the United States must
use its economic toolkit to deter corruption, obstructionism, and
secessionism in Bosnia and promote its accession to Euro-Atlantic
institutions.
My bill, the Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions
Act, does just this. Through this bill, we will impose and codify
sanctions against bad actors like Milorad Dodik, who continue their
agenda of secessionism, corruption, and destabilization.

{time} 1545

Mr. Speaker, sanctions work. In a hearing before the Europe
Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Deputy Assistant
Secretary Gabriel Escobar shared with us that officials in Bosnia's
Dodik-controlled Serb entity begged the U.S. to please, please, no more
sanctions.
However, much more leverage needs to be brought to bear against
Dodik's inner circle, their Russian backers, and the corrupt
politicians who recklessly use their country's dysfunction to grow
their power and their wealth. My bill would hold these criminals and
politicians accountable and deter others who would seek to undermine
peace and stability in the region.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Turner, Representative Kean, and
Representative Wild for introducing this bill with me. I urge all of my
colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my
time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Financial Services,

Washington, DC, February 8, 2024.
Hon. Michael McCaul,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman McCaul: Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on Financial Services regarding H.R. 4723, the
Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act. I
agree that the Committee shall be discharged from further
consideration of the bill so that it may proceed
expeditiously to the House Floor. The Committee takes this
action with the mutual understanding that, by foregoing
consideration of H.R. 4723 at this time, we do not waive any
jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or
similar legislation, and that the Committee will be
appropriately consulted and involved on this or similar
legislation as it moves forward. The Committee also reserves
the right to see appointment of an appropriate number of
conferees to any conference with the Senate involving this or
similar legislation, and we request your support for any such
request.
Finally, as you mentioned in your letter, I ask that a copy
of our exchange of letters on this bill be included in your
Committee's report to accompany the legislation, as well as
in the Congressional Record during floor consideration
thereof.
Sincerely,
Patrick McHenry,
Chairman.
____

House of Representatives,

Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC, March 11, 2024.
Hon. Patrick McHenry,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman McHenry: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 4723, the Upholding the Dayton
Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act, so that the measure
may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would
support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate
number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate
conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on this bill into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate
your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward
to continuing to work together as this measure moves through
the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Michael T. McCaul,
Chairman.
____

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, March 11, 2024.
Hon. Michael McCaul,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman McCaul: I write regarding H.R. 4723, the
Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act.
Provisions of this bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's
Rule X jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with
us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that
it shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill
so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
The Committee takes this action with the understanding that
forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in
any way

[[Page H1198]]

alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any future
jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their subject
matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees in the event of a conference
with the Senate involving this measure or similar
legislation.
I ask that you please include this letter in your
committee's report to accompany this legislation or insert
this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration
of H.R. 4723 on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative
manner in which our committees have worked on this matter,
and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future
on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your
attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Jim Jordan,
Chairman.
____

House of Representatives,

Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC, March 11, 2024.
Hon. Jim Jordan,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Jordan: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 4723, the Upholding the Dayton
Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act, so that the measure
may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would
support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate
number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate
conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on this bill into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate
your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward
to continuing to work together as this measure moves through
the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Michael T. McCaul,
Chairman.

Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As the lead Democrat on H.R. 4723, I rise in strong support of this
bill.
The United States, working alongside Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia,
crafted a tenuous diplomatic settlement to end the fighting and keep
the peace in Balkans in the wake of the devastating wars of the 1990s.
The resulting framework has been frustratingly imperfect, but it has
provided a path forward for Bosnia and, indeed, for the entire region.
This legislation calls attention to the difficulties facing Bosnia as
it seeks to join the EU. It calls for critically needed reforms to
ensure that all Bosnians can have a voice in their government, and it
addresses the forces that threaten the region's fragile peace.
Neither progress nor peace in the region are inevitable. These trends
require an enduring commitment to fostering them. The bill reaffirms
that U.S. commitment, along with our partners in Europe, to actively
maintain peace.
The sanctions imposed under this bill provide a necessary
disincentive to ensure that the Dayton Agreements hold strong and do
not unravel under political pressure. The sanctions section include
waiver language and appropriate exceptions for intelligence activities,
humanitarian aid, and to comply with our international agreements.
Despite clear challenges, Bosnia has made strides on meeting the EU
membership criteria for integration. It is in the interest of the
United States to help ensure that Bosnia meets its compliance with EU
rules and standards, so that its accession to the bloc can happen as
soon as viable.
I want to take a moment to recognize and thank my colleague,
Representative Wagner, for leading this effort, as well as for her
longstanding work to support peace and progress in this region.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, this bill turns our attention to a region
where U.S. presence and diplomacy go a long way.
The European Union also realizes that progress in Bosnia and the
surrounding region is not inevitable. In that light, I welcome the EU's
decision to open membership negotiations.
Transatlantic cooperation between the U.S. and the EU is essential to
not only keeping the peace in the western Balkans, but also ensuring a
democratic and prosperous future.
Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting H.R.
4723, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, as the vice chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
and as Representative of the largest Bosnian community outside of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, I know what the consequences will be if we fail
to stand strong against destructive politicians who seek to undo years
of peace.
If we let the Dayton Accords--a symbol of American leadership and
commitment--collapse, then we risk seeing violence return to Bosnia.
Adversaries like Russia and China would welcome these upheavals and
solidify a stronger economic and security foothold.
I remind my colleagues that Congress has acted on this once before.
Last Congress, I introduced a similar version of this bill which passed
the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support.
This time, the stakes are much higher. With our adversaries
emboldened like never before, Congress must act and confront these
potent threats to peace and stability.
Will we turn a blind eye to corrupt autocrats like Milorad Dodik, or
will we uphold the peace secured by the Dayton Accords many years ago?
To me, the choice is obvious.
Time is running out to send a strong deterrent message to bad actors
intent on destabilizing the country.
Let's pass this bill again and get it to the President's desk so that
the United States has the tools that it needs to break the
ethnonationalist and Russian hold on Bosnia's future.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4723, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

____________________