[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 185 (Wednesday, November 5, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S7907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BOSNIA
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I came to the floor of the Senate
earlier this year warning my colleagues that the leader of one of the
subdivisions within the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Dodik,
was ignoring rulings by the national-level Bosnia court. He was
threatening to have half the country secede, which, of course, drags up
memories we should never forget about the war and the genocide in those
countries in the 1990s in which many Bosnian Iowans lost family.
Well, I am glad that he has since complied with the court ruling by
stepping down from his position as leader of the RS entity and walked
back some of his destabilizing actions. In return, the United States
has dropped sanctions against Mr. Dodik and his family.
I am all for rewarding this good behavior, but there are very good
reasons to believe that Mr. Dodik has not seen the error of his ways.
Mr. Dodik, since, falsely alleged that he was still the rightful
President of RS, questioned whether Bosnia and Herzegovina should
continue to exist--and can you believe this?--he was photographed
embracing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Belarus.
Mr. Dodik should be on notice then that the United States is watching
to see that he stays on the straight and narrow that he wants us to
believe that he is on.
I can assure you that this Senator will be on the lookout for any
destabilizing actions that threaten the peace in Bosnia. And I will
work with the Trump administration to make sure that all actors in the
region respect the Dayton Peace Accords that ended the violence and
genocide that took place in 1995.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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