,,iv #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #aaac ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #ab1 #bjbb,mr4 ,wilson of ,south ,carolina 7for himself and ,mr4 ,lieu7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,,resolution ,calling on the ,secretary of ,state to designate the ,russian ,federation as a state sponsor of terrorism4 ,whereas1 pursuant to section #aged7;c7 of the ,john ,s4 ,mc,cain ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjai 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #dhac7;c771 section #dj of the ,arms ,export ,control ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bggi;,a71 and section #fbj;,a of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcga71 the authority to designate a country as a state sponsor of terrorism rests with the ,secretary of ,state2 ,whereas ,cuba1 the ,democratic ,people's ,republic of ,north ,korea1 ,iran1 and ,syria are designated as state sponsors of terrorism2 ,whereas1 at the direction of ,president ,vladimir ,putin1 the ,government of the ,russian ,federation has and continues to promote acts of international terrorism against political opponents and nation states2 ,whereas1 under the orders of ,president ,putin1 the ,government of the ,russian ,federation engaged in a campaign of terror1 utilizing brutal force targeting civilians during the ,second ,chechen ,war2 ,whereas actions by the ,government of the ,russian ,federation against civilian centers1 such as ,grozny1 the capital of ,chechnya1 left countless innocent men1 women1 and children dead or wounded2 ,whereas1 since #bjad1 the ,government of the ,russian ,federation has supported separatists engaging in acts of violence against ,ukrainian civilians in the ,donbas region2 ,whereas1 since the entry of the ,russian ,federation into the ,syrian ,civil ,war in #bjae1 the ,russian ,federation has targeted innocent civilians in ,syria with attacks on civilian markets1 medical facilities1 and schools2 ,whereas the ,government of the ,russian ,federation provides material support to ,syria1 a nation currently designated as a state sponsor of terrorism1 that has been used to target the ,syrian people2 ,whereas1 according to the ,congressional ,research ,service1 the ,russian ,federation spreads terror throughout the world through private military networks of mercenaries1 such as the ,wagner ,group1 in an effort to project power cheaply and deniably2 ,whereas the ,wagner ,group collaborates with the ,ministry of ,defense of the ,russian ,federation to support the foreign policy objectives of the ,russian ,federation2 ,whereas the ,department of the ,treasury identifies the ,wagner ,group as a designated ,russian ,ministry of ,defense proxy force and states that ,wagner's activities in other countries1 including ,ukraine1 ,syria1 ,sudan1 and ,libya1 have generated insecurity and incited violence against innocent civilians2 ,whereas it was reported in ,february #bjbb that more than #djj ,russian mercenaries from the ,wagner ,group were dispatched to ,kyiv with orders from the ,kremlin to assassinate ,president ,volodymyr ,zelensky and members of the ,government of ,ukraine2 ,whereas1 on ,march #ad1 #bjbb1 ,chairperson-in-,office of the ,organization for ,security and ,co-operation in ,europe ,zbigniew ,rau stated that actions of the ,government of the ,russian ,federation in ,ukraine against innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure is state terrorism2 ,whereas1 on ,march #ag1 #bjbb1 ,president ,volodymyr ,zelensky called for the world to acknowledge the ,russian ,federation as a terrorist state2 ,whereas the ,verkhovna ,rada of ,ukraine has appealed to ,congress to encourage the ,department of ,state to recognize the ,russian ,federation as a state sponsor of terrorism noting that the ,russian ,federation has for years supported and financed terrorist regimes and terrorist organizations1 including being the main supplier of weapons to the ,assad regime in ,syria and supporting terrorists in the ,middle ,east and ,latin ,america1 organizing acts of international terrorism1 including the poisoning of the ,skripal family in the ,united ,kingdom of ,great ,britain and ,northern ,ireland1 the downing of a civilian ,malaysian airliner and other acts of terrorism2 ,whereas1 on ,april #bg1 #bjbb1 ,secretary of ,state ,antony ,blinken stated before ,congress that there's no doubt in my mind that the ,russians are terrorizing the ,ukrainian people2 ,whereas1 at the direction of ,president ,putin1 the ,russian ,federation has and continues to commit war crimes by directing and authorizing the indiscriminate targeting of civilian centers within ,chechnya1 ,georgia1 ,syria1 and ,ukraine1 resulting in the deaths of countless innocent men1 women1 and children2 ,whereas ,armed ,forces of the ,russian ,federation have committed numerous summary executions against innocent civilians and have attempted to cover their atrocities with mass graves across ,ukraine2 and ,whereas1 when responding to questions regarding designating the ,russian ,federation as a state sponsor of terrorism1 the spokesperson for the ,department of ,state stated that we are going to look at all potential options--options that are available to us under the law1 options that would be effective in holding ,russia to account--and if a tool is available and effective1 we won't hesitate to use it3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 views the actions of the ,government of the ,russian ,federation1 at the direction of ,president ,vladimir ,putin1 as acts of terrorism2 and 7#b7 calls on the ,secretary of ,state to designate the ,russian ,federation as a state sponsor of terrorism4