Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Mike Lawler (R-NY), and Zach Nunn (R-IA) have introduced the Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries Act 2.0, also known as the HARM Act 2.0.
This new bill follows up on the original HARM Act from the 118th Congress, which required the Secretary of State to label the Wagner Group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The updated legislation addresses recent changes with the Wagner Group’s integration into Russia’s Ministry of Defense and instructs the U.S. government to designate its successor groups—Africa Corps, Redut PMC, and Patriot PMC—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. It also seeks to impose sanctions on these entities.
“Putin’s Russia is attacking countries all over the world with many forms of sabotage, terrorism, and blackmail. Its state-run ‘mercenary’ outfits are the tip of the spear, generating chaos and misery everywhere they go. This is a major threat to U.S. national security—these organizations must be disabled. This bill provides President Trump the tools he needs to do so,” said Rep. Wilson.
Rep. Joe Wilson has represented South Carolina’s 2nd district in Congress since 2001 after succeeding Floyd Spence and previously served in the South Carolina Senate for sixteen years. Born in Charleston in 1947, Wilson lives in Springdale and holds degrees from Washington and Lee University and the University of South Carolina.
The full text of the bill can be found here.
