The text was passed Thursday as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020, the groups said in a press release, adding that it marks the first such action by Congress. Christine Ahn, Executive Director of Women Cross DMZ said it's a clear sign that the American people want an end to the oldest U.S. conflict, and that ending decades of hostilities with a peace agreement is the only way to resolve the nuclear crisis. The amendment recognizes that diplomacy is essential to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and that a formal end to the war is critical toward that goal. The passage comes as the U.S. and North Korea are expected to resume negotiations in the coming days to dismantle the regime's nuclear weapons program in exchange for various concessions, including sanctions relief.