House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., introduced a bill March 15 that would impose sanctions on foreign persons who contribute to the construction of a tunnel from Russia to Crimea, which Russia invaded in 2014.

Twenty-three House and Senate Republicans urged President Joe Biden to designate Venezuela’s largest criminal gang, Tren de Aragua, a Transnational Criminal Organization, saying the group poses a growing threat to the U.S. as well as to Central and South America.

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, announced March 15 that he has introduced a bill that would require the Pentagon to improve its tracking of certain weapons sent to Ukraine.

Four senators last week urged President Joe Biden to impose additional sanctions on Nicaragua for that country's crackdown on religious freedom, including the recent arrest of 13 Christian pastors.

If the Senate Commerce Committee takes up a House-passed bill that would ban TikTok if China’s ByteDance does not divest itself of the popular social media application, committee members probably will propose “multiple amendments” to improve the legislation, the panel’s top Republican said last week.

Four House subcommittee chairmen have asked the Biden administration to describe how Iran has spent money that was made available to the country through a recent U.S. sanctions waiver.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced a bill March 13 that would impose financial sanctions on people or groups that engage in anti-U.S. "political warfare," such as spreading propaganda, on behalf of a foreign government, especially China’s.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Rep. John James, R-Mich., introduced a bill to expedite congressional reviews of arms sales to Middle Eastern and North African allies and partners that work to normalize relations with Israel and counter Iran and its proxies, the lawmakers announced March 13. The proposed Enhance Cooperation Against Terrorism Act would also require the State Department to develop recommendations to expedite the delivery of defense articles and services to the region.

Twenty-two Republican senators -- including the top Republicans on the Senate Finance and Agriculture committees and one of the front-runners to replace Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- argue that the "current sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports is directly attributable to and exacerbated by an unambitious U.S. trade strategy that is failing to meaningfully expand market access or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade."

The House of Representatives on March 13 voted 352-65 to pass a bill that would require China’s ByteDance to divest popular social media application TikTok (see 2403050063).