{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-to-cosponsor-legislation-to-hold-georgian-officials-accountable-for-corruption-human-rights-abuses-and-anti-democratic-efforts", "Murphy To Cosponsor Legislation To Hold Georgian Officials Accountable For Corruption, Human Rights Abuses, And Anti-Democratic Efforts", "2024-10-23", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday announced his intention to join U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Jim Risch (R-Id.) in introducing the Georgian People\u2019s Act, legislation that would hold Georgian government officials and individuals responsible for corruption, human rights abuses, and efforts to advance the foreign influence law or facilitate its passage.\n\nThe legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.), Angus King (I-Maine), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and George Helmy (D-N.J.) have also requested to join the Senators\u2019 Georgian People\u2019s Act when the Senate reconvenes in November.\n\n\u201cRussia\u2019s use of corruption, propaganda and violence doesn\u2019t just threaten Georgia\u2019s future as a strong, independent nation\u2014it puts the entire international order at risk of collapse,\u201d said Murphy. \u201cAs Putin and his cronies try to undermine Georgia\u2019s democracy and impose a government that will do their bidding, this bipartisan legislation makes clear the United States stands firmly with the Georgian people who overwhelmingly support democracy and a future in Europe.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased that a number of my Senate colleagues recognize the urgency of the situation in Georgia and have agreed to cosponsor the Georgian People\u2019s Act in the U.S. Senate,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cTogether, we\u2019re sending a strong message that there is robust bipartisan support for our legislation and our posture towards Georgia and support for the Georgian people\u2019s Euro-Atlantic aspirations will remain unchanged no matter which party controls Washington.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis bill sends a strong message from Congress that the U.S. is united behind the Georgian people as they pursue a future in the transatlantic community,\u201d said Risch. \u201cWe recognize the Georgian people\u2019s desire for European integration and are committed to making U.S. policy that supports the opportunity for them achieve it.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Georgian government\u2019s embrace of pro-Russian policies and away from a Euro-Atlantic future is concerning,\u201d said Tillis. \u201cI am proud to co-sponsor this bill to hold the Georgian government officials accountable and reaffirm the U.S. support for the Georgian people.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Georgian government\u2019s shift towards Russia\u2019s authoritarian regime and away from its European partners is alarming,\u201d said Cornyn. \u201cThis legislation would hold Georgia\u2019s corrupt leaders accountable and signal to the Georgian people that the U.S. stands with them in their pursuit of a Euro-Atlantic future.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile the Georgian people have demonstrated overwhelming support for a democratic future, their government has become increasingly under Russia\u2019s influence\u2014most recently passing a law to restrict civil society and free speech,\u201d said Romney. \u201cOur legislation would hold Georgian government officials responsible for corruption and demonstrate the United States\u2019 commitment to the Georgian people\u2019s fight for democracy and rule of law.\u201d\n\n\u201cA free, secure, sovereign Georgia, aligned with the US and its allies is in the national interest, both of Georgia and the United States,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cGeorgia\u2019s apparent drift back into Russia\u2019s orbit is bad for the stability of the region. No one understands this better than the Georgian people themselves. According to polling from the International Republican Institute, 90% of Georgians want their nation to be part of the Western, free World, not the Russian World.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe United States stands with the Georgian people and their pursuit of a Euro-Atlantic future. The Georgian government\u2019s recent efforts to align with Russia reject the desires of Georgians and pose a significant threat. Our bipartisan bill would hold Georgian government officials accountable for corruption and express our support for the transatlantic aspirations of the Georgian people,\u201d said Young.\n\nFull text of the legislation is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "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://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-to-cosponsor-legislation-to-hold-georgian-officials-accountable-for-corruption-human-rights-abuses-and-anti-democratic-efforts"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1823570132255554, "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"}