“I stand with the Georgian people and the legitimate President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili in their call for free and fair elections,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

U.S. Helsinki Chairman Congressman Joe Wilson, Ranking Member Congressman Steve Cohen, Congressman Richard Hudson and Congressman Marc Veasey re-introduced the bipartisan Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act. This vital legislation aims to bolster democratic practices, human rights, and the rule of law in the Republic of Georgia, reaffirming the United States' commitment to supporting Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and countering the influence of authoritarian regimes, particularly Russia.

"In the Georgian language, ‘megobari’ means ‘friend,’ and this bill reflects the powerful friendship and partnership between the United States and the Georgian people," said Chairman Wilson. "The Ivanishvili regime seeks to undermine Georgian freedom. I stand with the Georgian people and the legitimate President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili in their call for free and fair elections. This bill provides Georgian Dream officials with a choice to abandon the would-be dictator Ivanishvili or face sanctions. There is still time to save Georgia’s sovereignty!"

The MEGOBARI Act: Mandates a comprehensive sanctions review of all Georgian Dream officials. Those found to have engaged in corruption or undermining Georgian sovereignty will be sanctioned; Provides for a certification mechanism that mandates a deeper relationship between the United States and Georgia once Georgia’s democracy and sovereignty have been restored; Requires a full report of Russian and CCP intelligence assets in Georgia and Russian-CCP cooperation to undermine Georgian democracy and sovereignty.

The Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act is the premier U.S. initiative to counter the Ivanishvili Regime’s attempt to drag Georgia toward the Iranian regime, the Chinese Communist Party, and Russia. The bill is fully negotiated between House and Senate, Democrat and Republican leaders and is expected to move quickly. MEGOBARI means “friend” in Georgian.