I would also like to address my colleagues to remind them of the genocide of the 1990s. In the Western Balkan region of the world and of the Dayton Peace accords of 1995 that brought an end to that genocide.
For years, the leader of the Serb entity within the country of Bosnia, Mr. Dodik, has been threatening to have the Serb part secede.
Remember that there was a war and a genocide in the 1990s because of people like Mr. Dodik, acting like he is now.
He has a predecessor serving life in prison for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Many Bosnians who suffered from that terrible ethnic violence came to Iowa for protection and have enriched our state and nation.
Many of these Iowans have friends and family still in Bosnia. I spoke to some of them last Friday about an escalating crisis with frightening echoes of the great violence of the 1990s.
Mr. Dodik was sentenced by a Bosnian court for unconstitutional actions that reject the authority of Bosnian state institutions.
So, rather than stop, he chose to double down.
The Bosnian Serb assembly has now passed and implemented laws prohibiting the functioning of Bosnian state-level security and judicial institutions in that area.
Provincial institutions there have been ordered to use force to stop and prevent the lawful actions and operations of the Bosnian state.
Bosnians who are loyal to their country, or who these ethnic separatists do not consider Serbs, are at risk, including family members of my fellow Iowans. This concerns me greatly.
The United States, through Secretary Rubio, is taking some action, making it clear that it is also of great concern to the Trump administration.
Western Balkan stability has been a U.S. priority across administrations: Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, now Trump again.
I am following the situation closely.
America is also watching who in the region is supporting stability and who is backing the return to ethnic separatism and the possible genocide that could once again happen. Remember, it didn’t end well for those same people in the 1990s.
I will work with the Trump administration to make sure that we keep up the pressure on Mr. Dodik and his allies to stop and respect the Dayton Peace accords that ended this violence in 1995.
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