Grassley and Blumenthal File Serbia Bill in US Senate
Bill S. 5611 provides for financial and visa sanctions and a pause in the strategic dialogue with Belgrade, three weeks before Serbia's snap elections.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut have filed a Serbia bill in the US Senate. It provides for sanctions on individuals who undermine democracy and for a pause in the strategic dialogue with Belgrade. The bill is designated S. 5611. N1 reported on it on the evening of October 2, citing Radio Free Europe, three weeks before the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25.
In Congress records, the bill is listed as “a bill to authorize certain measures in relation to Serbia.” It was filed on September 30, 2026, read twice the same day and referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Grassley is the sponsor, and Blumenthal has been the cosponsor from day one.
What does the Serbia bill provide?
In a statement on the filing, quoted by Insajder, the senators say the aim is to “respond to democratic backsliding in Serbia, improve the treatment of student and civic protests and counter the authoritarian influence of Russia, China and Iran.” The specific measures, as described by N1 and Insajder, are as follows:
- financial and visa sanctions on actors who contribute to destabilizing the Western Balkans, as well as on individuals who threaten the peace, security, stability or territorial integrity of countries in the region
- a pause in the US-Serbia strategic dialogue if it fails to address the questions of free and fair elections and Belgrade’s ties with Beijing and Moscow
- a condition for the State Department: if it fails to carry this out, Congress, which controls the federal purse, should not approve its operating budget
According to N1, the House text notes “serious democratic backsliding,” which, as it stresses, is also stated in the European Parliament’s 2025 report on Serbia. Insajder writes that the text filed in the Senate is the same as the one in the House of Representatives. N1 reported at the same time that the text of the Senate bill was not yet available on the Senate website when it published, so for now that claim rests on Insajder.
Grassley said in the statement:
“Serbia plays a key role in preserving peace and security in the Western Balkans. It is critically important to stop Russia, China or Iran from influencing Serbia and destabilizing the region. This bipartisan bill would help strengthen democratic institutions in Serbia and includes measures such as sanctions, to establish accountability and promote the strengthening of democracy.”
Blumenthal said in the same statement: “The current government in Serbia has deepened its ties with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.” He added that he is “proud” to lead such efforts in the Senate, and according to Insajder he also said the bill gives the American administration new tools to sanction individuals working to weaken democracy.
Who backed the bill in the House of Representatives?
An identical bill was filed in the House at the end of August by Republican Joe Wilson and Democrat Bill Keating. N1 describes Wilson as a congressman who has stood out in recent months for criticizing the Serbian authorities. Keating is the sponsor of the Western Balkans Act, adopted at the end of 2025.
Insajder reports that on Friday the bill gained the support of Republicans Pete Sessions and Maria Elvira Salazar, and of Democrats Marc Veasey, Jimmy Panetta and Emanuel Cleaver, who is also a cochair of the Serbia Caucus. Republicans Keith Self and Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrats Dina Titus and William Keating had expressed support earlier. House committees are considering the bill.
Wilson posted on X:
“I am grateful to Senators Grassley and Blumenthal for filing the ‘Serbia’ bill in the Senate. The regime of (Aleksandar) Vucic is desperately fighting to stay in power. Elections in Serbia must be free and fair.”
What happens after the filing?
For the bill to become law, both chambers of Congress must pass it and US President Donald Trump must sign it. Quick passage is not expected. Insajder notes that midterm elections are held in the US on November 3, which will also choose a new majority in Congress. Wilson told the outlet earlier that the bill will be filed again in the new session, because regular procedure requires it, and that passage sometimes takes years.
Insajder also cites an assessment that, since both Republicans and Democrats have backed the bill, it would have equal support even if the majority shifts to the Democrats in the fall.
There has been no official reaction from the Serbian authorities in the sources we read. The one domestic date the bill directly touches is October 25: the question of free and fair elections, which the text names as a condition for continuing the strategic dialogue, has been raised three weeks before the vote.
