Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) just slammed the brakes on a critical sanctions bill for Georgia, leaving House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) out in the cold.
According to The Hill, this clash over the Megobari Act, aimed at punishing pro-Russian, anti-democratic officials in Georgia, reveals a deepening rift between two GOP heavyweights as Thune twice in three months has refused to tuck the bill into the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Let’s rewind to September, when Thune first nixed the bipartisan Megobari Act, a move that baffled supporters and pro-democracy activists alike. The bill, which would mandate presidential sanctions on those destabilizing Georgia, had strong backing across party lines. Yet, Thune stood firm, reportedly at the urging of Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who seems to think sweet-talking Tbilisi is the better path.
Mullin’s take? He told The Hill he’d rather “work with them” before slapping on sanctions, dreaming of helping Georgia escape Russia’s shadow through diplomacy. Nice sentiment, but when your so-called partner is cozying up to Moscow, China, and Iran, that’s less a handshake and more a bear hug with adversaries.
Fast forward to last month, when Johnson made a surprise, last-ditch effort to get the Megobari Act into the NDAA. Congressional aides scrambled to rally support across the aisle, but Thune wasn’t budging. As one aide put it, “He just said flat no.” That flat refusal stings, especially given Georgia’s alarming slide under the Georgian Dream party, which seized control in a recent election widely slammed as unfair. Since taking power, they’ve unleashed violence, repression, and intimidation on critics and civil society. It’s not just a domestic squabble—it’s a geopolitical alarm bell.
Georgia was once a beacon of post-Soviet democracy, even fending off a Russian invasion in 2008, but now it’s a battleground of influence. With Russia occupying two of its territories and Georgian Dream deepening ties with U.S. adversaries, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Analysts warn that without firm action, Georgia could slip fully into the orbit of America’s rivals.
The Megobari Act wouldn’t be a magic fix, but it could hit where it hurts—freezing assets and restricting visas for corrupt officials. It’s a signal that Washington sees this as more than just internal politics. Yet Thune’s blockade suggests some in the GOP aren’t ready to play hardball.
Pro-democracy voices are sounding the alarm, and they’re not mincing words. “If Megobari fails to pass or is indefinitely delayed, the consequences inside Georgia would be severe,” warned Elene Kintsurashvili of the German Marshall Fund’s Transatlantic Security team. She’s right—protesters already facing imprisonment and fines could feel utterly abandoned by the West.
Kintsurashvili added, “In that scenario, the regime’s grip would tighten, and the space for civil resistance would narrow dramatically.” If Georgian Dream spins this as Western indifference, expect repression to ramp up while they push the narrative that democracies back the regime, not the people.
Bipartisan frustration is boiling over, with lawmakers like Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Sen. James E. Risch (R-Idaho) slamming Georgian Dream for ushering in a “dark new chapter.” They’ve called out the party for passing authoritarian laws, jailing opponents, and even attacking U.S. embassy personnel with baseless accusations. This isn’t just policy disagreement—it’s a direct challenge to American interests.
Georgia matters to U.S. security in the Caucasus, a region linking Russia and the Middle East, and losing it to hostile powers would be a strategic disaster. The Trump administration has kept Biden-era sanctions on Georgian Dream officials for corruption and democratic backsliding, but no new steps have been taken. Is this caution or a missed opportunity?
Johnson’s late push for the Megobari Act was a rare moment of urgency, but Thune’s double rejection raises questions about GOP priorities. Are we so focused on avoiding “woke” overreach that we’re ignoring real threats to freedom abroad? A little less hand-wringing and a bit more backbone could go a long way here.
Let’s not pretend sanctions are a cure-all, but they’re a tool—and a sharp one at that. Thune’s hesitation, while perhaps rooted in a desire for dialogue, risks signaling weakness to regimes that only respect strength. Georgia’s future hangs in the balance, and so does America’s credibility.
The clock is ticking for Georgia’s democrats, who face violence and chemical weapons—yes, World War I-era tactics—while protesting a regime that’s turned its back on the West. If Congress can’t unite on something as clear-cut as sanctioning authoritarian cronies, what message does that send to allies and adversaries alike? It’s time for leadership, not gridlock, on this critical front.