The House Financial Services Committee approved legislation July 22 to increase sanctions on Russia and Burma and revise sanctions on Syria.
The U.S. should consider designating specific financial institutions, sets of transactions or types of accounts in Hong Kong as primary money laundering concerns to address the Chinese territory's recent crackdown on freedom and its role in aiding sanctions evasion by rogue regimes, a researcher told the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Human Rights July 22.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved several bills July 22 aimed at speeding up the foreign arms sales process, strengthening the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership and enhancing certain Iran sanctions.
The Senate Banking Committee voted 13-11 along party lines July 23 to approve David Peters' nomination as assistant secretary of commerce for export enforcement.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said July 22 that the U.S. needs to impose stronger export controls and outbound investment restrictions on China to protect its own national security.
The Senate Appropriations Committee’s newly released report on the FY 2026 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill (see 2507170053 and 2507100053) calls for the Bureau of Industry and Security to take several actions to inform lawmakers, including writing a report on international efforts to harmonize export controls on items that could aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., announced July 17 that he has filed a discharge petition to force House floor consideration of his bill to increase sanctions and export controls on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 19-10 July 17 to approve an FY 2026 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill that would provide $211 million for the Bureau of Industry and Security, up $20 million or 10.5% from the FY 2025 enacted level but well below the 59% increase the agency was seeking.
The State Department has designated Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas to be its “point person” for speeding up the government’s review of defense exports, Rigas told the House Foreign Affairs Committee July 15.
Congress should ask the Trump administration several key questions as part of its oversight of the Treasury Department’s new program restricting outbound investment, two investment security experts told the House Financial Services national security subcommittee July 16.