{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bell.house.gov/media/press-releases/bell-wagner-turner-auchincloss-introduce-legislation-advance-stability-bosnia", "Bell, Wagner, Turner, Auchincloss Introduce Legislation to Advance Stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina", "2025-06-26", "2025", "2025-06", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Wesley Bell", "B001324", "bell.house.gov", "bell", "https://bell.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.\u2014U.S. Representative Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), along with U.S. Representatives Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), Mike Turner (R-Ohio), and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), released the following statement after they introduced the Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act.\n\nThis year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide.\n\n\u201cPeace doesn\u2019t keep itself. When bad actors try to undermine democracy and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the U.S. has to act,\u201d said Rep. Bell. \u201cThis bill is about holding those individuals accountable and standing firm behind the Dayton Peace Agreement. We can\u2019t afford to look the other way while corruption and division threaten hard-won peace.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe largest Bosnian community outside of Bosnia is centered here in the St. Louis area, and for years I have worked closely with them to advance our shared goal of a unified and peaceful Bosnia and Herzegovina. We condemn Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik\u2019s flagrant disregard for the law, and it is critical we put a stop to his destabilizing actions in the region that have gotten worse by the week,\u201d said Rep. Wagner. \u201cMy Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act will sanction criminals like Dodik and others like him who seek to tear apart the institutions that safeguard Bosnia\u2019s fragile peace. The new Axis of Evil that is China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea is cheering on bad actors like Dodik, and it is critical to global stability we stop this evil in its tracks to send a message that the world will not stand for corrupt secessionists like him gaining another foothold.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Dayton Peace Accords ended one of the bloodiest conflicts in Europe\u2019s history and laid the foundation for lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, we are reminded of our constant commitment to the fragile security situation established and our duty to make it a lasting and stable peace,\u201d said Rep. Turner. \u201cThe United States will continue to stand with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to protect their sovereignty, support democratic institutions, and ensure that the hard-won peace of Dayton is never undone.\u201d\n\n\"Support for the Dayton Peace Agreement is strong and bipartisan in Congress. Bad actors like Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik must not shred the institutional sinews of a peaceful and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina,\u201d said Rep. Auchincloss. \u201cAmerica must not retreat from our work in Balkans, or else Russia will fill the void.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act mandates sanctions on foreign persons who undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement or otherwise threaten the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Similar legislation introduced by Rep. Wagner passed the House in 2022 and 2024.\n\nIn the post-war climate of the 1990s, thousands of Bosnian refugees resettled in the St. Louis region. Today they are an integral part of the local St. Louis community, and with families and loved ones remaining in the Balkan region, are deeply concerned about the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T01:08:28Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bell.house.gov/media/press-releases/bell-wagner-turner-auchincloss-introduce-legislation-advance-stability-bosnia"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4738617464900017, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}