A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation that would extend the duration of the United States’ waiver of its arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus from one to five years, in a move aimed at strengthening long-term defense cooperation between Washington and Nicosia.
The bill, co-sponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), was submitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is scheduled to vote on it Wednesday, October 22.
While the measure would still require approval by the full Senate, its passage in committee would mark an important step toward codifying the change and aligning the Senate’s approach with similar language advanced in the House.
In the House of Representatives, Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) has already included a comparable provision in the State Department Reauthorization Act, the annual legislation that sets U.S. foreign policy priorities. The inclusion of parallel language in both chambers could significantly increase the measure’s chances of survival in the final stages of the legislative process.
The Link to the House of Representatives
In the House of Representatives, Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) has already included a comparable provision in the State Department Reauthorization Act, the annual legislation that sets U.S. foreign policy priorities. The inclusion of parallel language in both chambers could significantly increase the measure’s chances of survival in the final stages of the legislative process.
The Senate, however, has no standalone version of the State Department Reauthorization Act. As a result, for the lifting of the arms embargo to move forward, the measure will likely need to be incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which defines the annual U.S. defense budget.
If the Booker–Moran bill wins approval on Wednesday from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, its chances of inclusion in the final NDAA would rise considerably, bolstered by the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s earlier move to advance a similar provision within the State Department Reauthorization bill. Together, these developments would mark a significant step toward altering longstanding U.S. policy.
What the Bill Changes
The proposed legislation amends two key statutes governing U.S. defense relations with Cyprus: Section 205 of the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019, and Section 1250A of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.
In both instances, the bill replaces the phrase “one fiscal year” with “five fiscal years”, effectively removing the requirement for annual renewal of the waiver by the State Department. The change is designed to provide predictability for Cyprus and signal a longer-term U.S. commitment to security partnership with Nicosia.
