Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a senior member of the committee, urged the Biden administration Dec. 2 to impose sanctions in response to the Republic of Georgia’s violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in recent days.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a proponent of imposing more sanctions in response to Sudan’s civil war, said Nov. 29 that he plans to meet the week of Dec. 2 with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be secretary of state, to discuss several topics, including Sudan.
A bipartisan, bicameral group of four lawmakers announced Nov. 25 the introduction of a bill to create a State Sponsor of Unlawful or Wrongful Detention (SSWD) designation, which would allow the State Department to impose sanctions and other penalties on countries that wrongfully detain Americans.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., urged the Biden administration last week to try to expand and better enforce the U.N. Security Council's arms embargo on war-torn Sudan.
The chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China urged U.S. technology companies Microsoft and Google Nov. 22 to explain why they reportedly funded Chinese tech firms that assisted in censorship and police surveillance in China, including of repressed minority groups. The tweet by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Sen. Jeffrey Merkley, D-Ore., seeks “assurances” that investments by Microsoft and Google are “not abetting human rights abuses in China.” Microsoft and Google had no immediate comment on the tweet.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., urged the Biden administration late Nov. 25 to resist a push from House Democrats to remove Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list.
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China said Nov. 25 that they have asked for a briefing on how the Treasury Department is responding to Hong Kong’s growing role in sanctions evasion.
Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., introduced a bill last week to require the Energy Department to examine the impact on climate change and other factors when considering permits for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals.
Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., introduced a bill Nov. 21 to prohibit the transfer of Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, to Ukraine. His bill was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Higgins has been a critic of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, and President Joe Biden reportedly recently agreed to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS to strike deeper inside Russia. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Nov. 17 that he welcomes Biden's decision but believes it should have occurred sooner.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., introduced two export-related measures Nov. 21 aimed at encouraging the United Arab Emirates to stop arming Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia group, which is fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces.