The U.S. should sanction China in response to the recent Chinese-led cyberattacks against dozens of companies and entities in the U.S. and abroad (see 2107190022), four Republican senators said in a July 23 letter to President Joe Biden. The U.S. should impose sanctions similar to those announced against Russia in April, the senators said. Those sanctions authorized restrictions against people and companies operating in Russia’s defense and technology sectors for cyber criminal activity (see 2104150019). “I call on you to clarify your red lines and provide transparency regarding how your Administration will act to protect the U.S. from further cyberattacks,” said Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas. The White House didn’t comment.
Although there were some specific complaints about how USMCA has gone in its first year -- especially what witnesses and senators said was an anemic effort to get Mexico to change its stance on genetically modified agricultural crops -- much of the hearing in the Senate Finance Committee on July 27 explored how USMCA should be seen as a model for future trade agreements.
The House passed a bill last week that would authorize the State Department to provide rewards for information about sanctions evasion. The Bassam Barabandi Rewards for Justice Act, passed July 20, would allow the U.S. to pay for information about illegal exports, services or assistance that violates U.S. or United Nations sanctions or trade restrictions. The Senate version of the bill was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations July 21. The bill is named after Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat who defected from the government.
The Congressional Research Service on July 22 released an updated version of its report on U.S. policy toward Cuba, detailing sanctions and restrictions imposed on the country’s military, exports to the island, remittances and more. President Joe Biden recently authorized more sanctions against Cuba and hasn’t committed to repealing trade sanctions or other restrictions on sending remittances to the island (see 2107160013).
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing July 27 at 9:30 a.m. to review the implementation of the USMCA one year after it entered into force on July 1, 2020. The witnesses testifying will be:
More than 15 Senate Republicans introduced a bill July 15 that would impose human rights sanctions on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and incoming President Ebrahim Raisi. The legislation would require the president to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Those introducing the bill include Foreign Relations Committee members, among them Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Todd Young of Indiana. The U.S. already imposes certain sanctions against Khamenei (see 1906240046).
Supply chain resilience requires diversification with allies and away from China, witnesses said during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, but they cautioned senators that improving resilience is complicated, and that government intervention can have unintended consequences. The committee was examining how Commerce Department implementation of the recent China package, once called Endless Frontier, could reduce supply chain failures in the future.
A bipartisan group of senators urged President Joe Biden to consider sanctions if Turkey continues to interfere in Cyprus' territory. The U.S. should work with the European Union to “make clear” that Turkey’s continued attempts to develop the Varosha coastline will be met with multilateral sanctions, the senators said in a July 14 letter. “The U.S. and the EU should make clear to President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan that continuing to violate [United Nations Security Council] Resolutions and the rule of law is unacceptable,” said the senators, headed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J.
The U.S. should end all negotiations with Iran about rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (see 2106240044) after the U.S. charged four Iranian intelligence officials this week with trying to kidnap a U.S. journalist, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said July 14. The kidnapping scheme “demonstrates just how little regard the Iranian regime has for ongoing negotiations,” Risch said. “In light of all that is happening and the long list of Iranian offenses, it’s time for the administration to suspend the ongoing indirect negotiations with the Iranians.”
The U.S. should impose sanctions against Russia for the Kremlin’s efforts to shelter cybercriminals responsible for a recent wave of ransomware attacks, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said. In a July 13 letter, Menendez urged the State Department to use the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act provisions to impose penalties on the Russian government. “[W]ithout significant pressure from the United States and its allies,” Menendez said, “the Kremlin is unlikely to curb the cybercriminals it currently shelters.” The State Department declined to comment.