The Senate Banking Committee held a hearing Jan. 11 to renew its push for congressional passage of the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, which would use sanctions and anti-money laundering measures to counter the illicit fentanyl supply chain that is blamed for tens of thousands of American deaths annually.
Republican Reps. Chris Smith of New Jersey and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, both members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced on Jan. 11 a bill that would impose economic sanctions on Nicaragua’s government for human rights violations, including the persecution of clergy and political dissidents and the forced exile of thousands of people.
Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Tim Kaine of Virginia announced Jan. 9 that they plan to oppose a provision in the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2024 supplemental appropriations request that would waive congressional oversight requirements for U.S. funding provided to Israel under the Foreign Military Financing program.
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network should do a better job informing small businesses about its new beneficial ownership information reporting requirements (see 2401050023), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., said in a Jan. 5 press release.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, urged the Biden administration to reinstate the Houthis’ designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, citing the Yemen-based group’s recent attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., who chairs the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance and International Financial Institutions, announced Jan. 4 that he will not seek reelection in 2024.
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China urged the Defense and Treasury departments on Jan. 4 to blacklist China-based Quectel Wireless Solutions, saying the manufacturer of Internet connectivity modules has troubling ties to the Chinese military.
Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., has introduced a resolution aimed at improving U.S. relations with Latin America, including by ending all unilateral economic sanctions imposed on the region by executive order.
The Market Choice Act, which would end fuel taxes while imposing a carbon tax, was reintroduced in the House of Representatives this month by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif. The bill, an acronym for "Modernizing America with Rebuilding to Kickstart the Economy of the Twenty-first Century with a Historic Infrastructure-Centered Expansion Act," would require domestic producers to pay a price for carbon, and also would place a tariff on imports if those countries don't have equivalent carbon taxes. It would provide a rebate to manufacturing exporters and sectors that process ores, soda ash and phosphate. It wouldn't cover mining and fossil fuel extraction.
Seven Republican senators led by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced a bill this month aimed at countering the Commerce Department’s recent 90-day pause in issuing commercial firearms export licenses.