Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, announced Jan. 14 that she is reintroducing the Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends (FORCE) Act, which would prevent the executive branch from removing Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list until the island country commits to democracy and human rights. The bill has 20 co-sponsors, all Republicans. Her announcement came the same day the White House revealed that President Joe Biden is removing Cuba from the list (see 2501140080).
Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., announced Jan. 13 that he plans to introduce a bill to give China’s ByteDance more time to divest TikTok before facing a ban on the popular social media application in the U.S.
The leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the Biden administration late Jan. 10 to reimpose all sanctions lifted on Venezuela since November 2022.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., reintroduced a bill Jan. 9 that would impose sanctions on Chinese police departments that operate in the U.S. or try to do so. His Expel Illegal Chinese Police Act also would sanction those who monitor or intimidate people in the U.S. on behalf of the Chinese Community Party’s United Front Work Department. The bill was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Cotton previously introduced the legislation in early December, near the end of the 118th Congress (see 2412040035).
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., introduced a bill Jan. 9 to end the arms embargo on Cyprus. The Cyprus Defense Cooperation Act was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China urged the Commerce Department Jan. 9 to update its regulations to require U.S. biopharmaceutical entities to obtain an export license before working with a Chinese military hospital for clinical trials.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said Jan. 9 that he plans to reintroduce several China-related bills in the coming weeks in the new 119th Congress, including one that would sanction those who fund, sponsor or otherwise facilitate forced organ harvesting or the trafficking of people to remove their organs.
Lawmakers this week reintroduced two Venezuela sanctions bills as the new 119th Congress gears up for business.
In one of its first acts in the 119th Congress, the House of Representatives passed a bill Jan. 9 that would sanction International Criminal Court (ICC) officials for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials over the war in Gaza (see 2501060025).
Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., who joined the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee in 2021, is the new ranking member, following Rep. Earl Blumenauer's retirement.