The Biden administration said this week it has received assurances that the United Arab Emirates has ended weapons transfers to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia group, meeting a key demand of U.S. lawmakers who had threatened to oppose an arms sale to the UAE over its RSF support.

Lawmakers unveiled a new continuing resolution late Dec. 19 that doesn't include the outbound investment restrictions and export control and sanctions provisions that an earlier version contained (see 2412180034).

The House Select Committee on China’s fentanyl policy working group unveiled three bipartisan bills Dec. 17 to counter China’s role as the world’s leading supplier of precursor chemicals for fentanyl.

Several lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to ease sanctions on Syria in light of the overthrow of the Assad regime by rebel forces.

The Biden administration should impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on Republic of Georgia officials responsible for violence against those peacefully protesting the country’s democratic backsliding, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., said Dec. 16. “Now is the moment for the United States and our allies to stand strong with the people of Georgia in their pursuit of democracy and freedom,” Cardin said. Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., made similar comments two weeks earlier (see 2412020009).

Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., introduced a bill Dec. 11 that would codify Russia sanctions imposed under nine executive orders: 13849, 13883, 14024, 14039, 14065, 14066, 14068, 14701 and 14114. It is identical to a bill that Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., introduced in September.

The leaders of the House Select Committee on China urged TikTok Dec. 13 to comply with an eight-month-old law that will ban the popular social media application in the U.S. unless it is divested by Chinese parent company ByteDance by Jan. 19.

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.