H.Res. 537: Promoting United States national security and foreign policy objectives through consolidation and strengthening of the rule of law and respect for human rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

H.Res. 537: Promoting United States national security and foreign policy objectives through consolidation and strengthening of the rule of law and respect for human rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

115th Congress · introduced 2017-09-26 · International Affairs · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-09-26 · 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 Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats. 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

Promoting United States national security and foreign policy objectives through consolidation and strengthening of the rule of law and respect for human rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Plain summary

Affirms the importance of the U.S. partnership with the government of Azerbaijan in the areas of international security, European energy security, and economic development. Calls on the U.S. government: in its diplomatic engagement and delivery of bilateral assistance, to prioritize as a matter of strategic importance its response to Azerbaijan's violations of universally recognized human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law to ensure the long-term sustainability of the U.S.-Azerbaijani bilateral partnership; to closely evaluate reporting to identify and impose travel and financial restrictions on Azerbaijan officials responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act; and to closely evaluate reporting to identify and impose travel restrictions on Azerbaijan officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom, pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Calls on the government of Azerbaijan to release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, rehabilitate their records, lift travel bans, and cease harassment, intimidation, and mistreatment of citizens engaged in political speech, independent journalism, and other forms of advocacy on behalf of government accountability, democratic values, and universally recognized human rights. Supports the peaceful efforts of the people of Azerbaijan ito achieve democratic reform and exercise their fundamental freedoms.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

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

Promoting United States national security and foreign policy objectives through consolidation and strengthening of the rule of law and respect for human rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

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] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

James P. McGovern (D-MA), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)

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 (4)

Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote: A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

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-115hres537.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hres>

Record fed-us-cong115-hres537 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115