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| US Capitol west side (Image: Wiki Commons) |
By Shannon Tiezzi
Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed a bill calling for tough new sanctions that could impact China as well.
It seems Republicans and Democrats in the United States have finally found something they agree on: the need for tougher sanctions on North Korea in the wake of the country’s nuclear test on January 6 and rocket launch on February 7. On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed a new sanctions bills with a vote of 96-0. The House of Representatives passed a similar bill in January, with near-unanimous support (the final vote was 418-2).
The bill, which was slightly amended from the House version, will need to be approved once again by the House. It will then pass to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature.
Both versions of the bill call for new sanctions not only on North Korea, but on third parties who help facilitate “prohibited activities” by North Korea – from importing luxury goods or arms into North Korea to engaging in “money laundering, counterfeiting, cash smuggling, or narcotics trafficking that supports the Government of North Korea.” The administration will be empowered to block sanctioned individuals from entering the United States, and to confiscate assets deemed to have been “forfeited for violations of North Korea sanctions laws.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat