ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – US Congressman Joe Wilson on Wednesday announced he has proposed an amendment to the defense spending bill, urging greater support for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and describing Erbil as “a vital strategic partner” of Washington.

In a tweet on X, Wilson said he was “grateful” to sponsor an amendment of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) —an annual bill that dictates the budget for the US Department of Defense (DOD)— which calls for further commitment from the US government in supporting the KRG.

“It is the sense of Congress that the Kurdistan regional Government of Iraq is a vital strategic partner of the United States,” read the amendment.

In the amendment, the representative stresses that the Iraqi federal government “must cease its destabilizing efforts to halt salaries and payments to KRG government employees,” as well as “its efforts to prevent the KRG from developing and exporting its petroleum resources and capabilities.”

The KRG in late May signed two agreements with two American firms to develop certain oil and gas fields in the Region, which combined for a total value of around 110 billion US dollars. The agreements were rejected by Iraq's oil ministry, claiming they were “unconstitutional”.

Wilson’s amendment accuses “Iraqi militias funded by the government of Iraq” of attacking the Kurdistan Region, calling for their cessation.

A series of drone attacks targeted the Kurdistan Region’ energy infrastructure in late June and early July, prompting international oil companies operating in the Region to suspend production.

Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji, in an interview with local Iraqi media on Wednesday, said that authorities have identified the perpetrators of a wave of drone attacks that targeted the Kurdistan Region in recent months.

Araji refused to confirm if the culprits were foreign or domestic actors, saying that the details are in the investigation report.

“The United States supports providing the KRG with necessary security measures, so that the KRG can defend itself from attacks by Iran and its puppet militias against the KRG and its energy resources,” the proposed amendment adds.

Erbil and Baghdad have been at loggerheads over financial entanglements and oil exports for years.

Wilson is the co-founder of the Kurdish American Congressional Caucus. Established in 2008, the congressional committee advocates for strengthening Erbil-Washington bilateral relations.

He has repeatedly urged the US government to exert more pressure on Baghdad due to its relations with Tehran. In May, Wilson called for cutting all foreign aid to Iraq, sanctioning Iraq’s importation of Iranian gas, and designating the Iraqi state-linked Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) as a foreign terrorist group.

Reporting by Hevi Karam