First on Fox – Top Republican and Democratic representatives will introduce a bill today that would ban recognition of the Georgian dream government of the Black Sea state that has been gripped by massive anti-government demonstrations for more than 40 days.
Rep. Joe Wilson, the chairman of the Helsinki Committee, and Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., are scheduled to introduce the “Georgian Nightmare Non-Recognition Act” on Wednesday.
Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the bill that prohibits recognition or normalization of relations “with any Georgia-led government Bidzina Ivanishvili Or any of his agents because of the ongoing crimes committed by the Ivanishvili regime against the Georgian people.”
“No federal official or employee may take any action, and no federal funds may be made available, to recognize or in any way imply recognition by the United States of Bidzina Ivanishvili or any government of Georgia,” according to the bill.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze delivers a speech after parliamentary elections in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Sunday, October 27, 2024. (Georgian Dream Party via AP)
Representative Cohen, who came up with the bill, told Fox News Digital that the Georgian dream has become the Georgian nightmare.
“The Georgian Dream party led by oligarch Ivanishvili, under sanctions, has become a tool of Putin. They rigged the October elections and illegally chose an obedient president. The United States cannot and will not recognize this illegitimate government. The law will ensure that Recognizing the Georgian Nightmare, the United States does not do so until it agrees to hold free and fair elections, and the Ivanishvili regime must remain completely isolated by all democratic governments.
While the Georgian Dream government did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment, the party's political council issued a statement on Wednesday saying the recently imposed sanctions are “anti-Georgian moves” organized by the “party of world war” and the “deep state.” networks, and described Representative Wilson as “one of the most dangerous manifestations of the deep state” and a “degenerate politician.”
The Georgian Nightmare Non-Recognition Act is similar in nature and goals to the Representative Wilson-led Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act of 2023, which was passed last February, and the bill was codified into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 2025 and signed by President Biden last month.
A young demonstrator holds a poster during an opposition protest against the parliamentary election results in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Monday, October 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Zhurab Tsertsvadze)
The “Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Law” also prohibits recognition or normalization of relations with Bashar al-Assad’s government. He added, “It is the policy of the United States not to recognize or normalize relations with any Syrian government it leads.” Bashar al-Assad “Because of the Assad regime’s ongoing crimes against the Syrian people,” the text of the National Defense Authorization Act states.
Although it is up to the president to recognize a particular government or leader, lawmakers point to existing precedents. United States Congress It has a long tradition of not recognizing illegitimate regimes. Congress has never recognized the Russian occupation of Ukrainian Crimea or the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The United States also never recognized the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states in 1940, and maintained a policy of non-recognition, viewing the Baltic states as illegally occupied territories until they regained their independence in 1991.
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Supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party attend a rally in central Tbilisi, Georgia, on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. (Photo by AP/Shakh Ayvazov)
“Similarly, the Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act ensures that the United States will never recognize the murderous Assad regime. And now that regime is gone, too. And we will follow the same policy with the Ivanishvili regime. Thanks to the strength of the freedom-loving Georgian people, I… “I am sure this system will end soon as well and Georgia will hold free and fair elections.”
Hudson Institute senior fellow Luke Coffey, who has championed Georgia's West aspirations, including… NATO membershipFor more than a decade, he said, the legislation has been an indication that “American lawmakers and policymakers are becoming increasingly frustrated” with the Georgian Dream and their actions in Georgia.
“It is also a reminder of how important the US Congress is in the development of American foreign policy, and these Georgia Dream officials should pay close attention to what Congress is doing, especially members of Congress close to Donald Trump. After January 20, these members of Congress will have greater influence,” Coffey said. On the making of American foreign policy.
Under the bill, the United States must recognize Salome Zurabishvili as “the current president of Georgia prior to the fraudulent elections on October 26, 2024” and Georgia’s only legitimate leader.
The bill states that the policy may be declared invalid “if the Georgian Constitution is restored as evidenced by the holding of free and fair elections.”
Despite the current low point in US-Georgia relations, Coffey believes that with the best policies, relations can get back on track. “In the meantime, the United States needs to pursue policies that support legitimate political opposition against the increasingly authoritarian Belarusian-like government in Tbilisi,” Coffey said.
