The U.S. government should dramatically increase the number of Cuban officials who are sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said Dec. 11.

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., introduced a bill Dec. 10 that would codify President Joe Biden’s February executive order allowing the U.S. to sanction those who undermine peace, security and stability in the West Bank (see 2402010053).

The House Republican steering committee selected Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., Dec. 12 to become chairman of the House Financial Services Committee in January. Hill will replace Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who is retiring from the House. The committee has played a key role in negotiations over legislation to restrict U.S. outbound investment in China.

In one of his last moves as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., introduced a wide-ranging China bill Dec. 11 that contains several sanctions, foreign investment and trade provisions.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., both said Dec. 12 that lawmakers continue to seek a compromise on legislation to restrict U.S. outbound investment in China.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who opposed passage of a law banning TikTok in the U.S. unless China’s ByteDance divests the popular social media application, said Dec. 10 he is “still hopeful” the U.S. Supreme Court will rule the measure unconstitutional.

Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., co-chair of the House Select Committee on China’s Critical Minerals Policy Working Group, has announced plans to introduce a bill that would restrict exports of two reusable materials: "black mass," a metal-rich mixture that comes from used lithium-ion batteries, and "swarf," metal debris produced during magnet manufacturing.

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., who is slated to become chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in January (see 2412100008), said Dec. 10 that he envisions a greater role for the panel in overseeing State Department operations.

House Republicans have chosen Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the next Congress.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., introduced a wide-ranging Hong Kong bill Dec. 9 that would, among other things, reauthorize the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act for five years.