Senate Republicans last week reintroduced a bill that could require the U.S. to sanction all Russian state-owned companies. The bill, titled the Halting Enrichment of Russian Oligarchs and Industry Allies of Moscow’s Schemes to Leverage its Abject Villainy Abroad Act, would require the president to impose the sanctions 60 days after the legislation is enacted. “We have a moral duty, and it’s in our national security interest, to do everything in our power to limit any U.S. funds that enrich the pockets of the Russian regime,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who reintroduced the bill alongside Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rick Scott, R-Fla.
The co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Korea recently introduced a bill that would expand sanctions on any parties involved in trade or financing with North Korea that could lead to arms transfers to Russia.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. should review U.S. investments made by Chinese lithium battery supplier Guoxuan High-Tech through its U.S. subsidiary, Gotion Inc., Republicans said in a Sept. 20 letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. The lawmakers said the company, also known as Guoxuan High-Tech, has invested in lithium battery manufacturing plants in Michigan and Illinois, adding that its owners’ “membership and affiliation” with the Chinese government “requires a rigorous review” by CFIUS.
The House Financial Services Committee this week advanced a bill that would make USDA a permanent member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. The Agricultural Security Risk Review Act, which passed the committee with bipartisan support, would address an “overdue” oversight in making the agency a formal part of all CFIUS reviews, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., said during a Sept. 20 committee markup. “While CFIUS is indeed a committee, it benefits from expertise and particular member agencies with relevant expertise,” he said. “Agriculture is too important to go neglected.”
A new House bill with bipartisan support could lead to new sanctions against certain entities and people “engaged in the proliferation or use of foreign commercial spyware.” The bill, introduced by Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., would specifically authorize sanctions against any party that develops, maintains, owns, operates, brokers, markets, sells, leases, licenses or “otherwise makes available spyware that has enabled the targeting of United States Government officials or personnel of the intelligence community.”
The top Republican on the House Select Committee on China asked the Biden administration to determine whether 13 Chinese government officials should be subject to sanctions and 25 entities should be added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List for their ties to human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
The top two lawmakers on the House Select Committee on China criticized Beijing’s decision last month to suspend imports of Japanese seafood, saying the trade restrictions are “unacceptable and must be reversed.” China suspended the imports in response to Japan's release of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean stemming from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant incident following a tsunami (see 2308220022).
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he is concerned about the “growing relationship” between Venezuela and China, and urged the Biden administration to threaten sanctions against China for aiding the Nicolas Maduro-led regime in Caracas. In a Sept. 13 letter, Rubio noted that Maduro is in Beijing to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, where Maduro is “expected to request economic and development assistance” from China. The U.S. should declare that “any decision by a Chinese entity to provide new funding for the Venezuelan regime will be met with U.S. sanctions,” Rubio said.
A new House bill introduced last week could help facilitate exports of “high-performance” computers and other equipment to India. The Technology Exports to India Act, introduced by Reps. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., and Andy Barr, R-Ky., would remove certain restrictions on the sale of U.S. digital computers and electronic assemblies to India, the lawmakers said. The bill comes as the U.S. tries to convince India to rescind its recently announced import restrictions on computers and various electronics (see 2308170028).
The Senate Agriculture Committee's chairwoman and ranking member are asking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to use money available in the Commodity Credit Corporation to "open access to markets," and to send U.S. grown crops as humanitarian aid.