H.R. 5970: Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-05-06 · International Affairs · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-05-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2008

Plain summary

Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2008 - Amends the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 to authorize assistance to promote democracy and civil society in Belarus. Includes Internet broadcasting within the scope of increased support and funding for U.S. government and surrogate broadcasting to Belarus. Specifies that funding may be used for broadcasting by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Voice of America, and European Radio for Belarus and Belsat. Includes cessation of repression against student activists and ethnic minorities among the criteria that the government of Belarus must meet in order to end U.S. sanctions under such Act.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · 11 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] reported raising $797,217 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110hr5970.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/hr>

Record fed-us-cong110-hr5970 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110