Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., is joining the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this month for the new 119th Congress, incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Jan. 2.

The Uyghur Human Rights Project said Dec. 30 that it welcomes the five-year extension of two sanctions laws: the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act and the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

A group of Senate Republicans criticized the State Department’s decision this month to renew the U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement for another five years, saying it gives “cover” to universities, businesses and others to continue research cooperation with entities tied to the Chinese government.

Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., urged the Biden administration Dec. 19 to give China’s ByteDance more time to comply with the law that requires the company to divest TikTok by Jan. 19 or face a U.S. ban on the popular social media application.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., reintroduced a bill Dec. 19 to prohibit gasoline exports during periods of high gas prices, with the goal of boosting domestic supply to lower prices. The bill was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Khanna previously introduced the bill in October 2022, defining high prices as a national average of $3.12 per gallon or more for a week.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., introduced a bill Dec. 20 to sanction Turkey if it doesn't renew a recently expired ceasefire between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., and four other lawmakers asked the Government Accountability Office in a Dec. 18 letter to study whether U.S. agencies need additional sanctions authorities to go after illegal mining or other foreign environmental crimes committed by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The letter says that illegal mining of metals and minerals is booming in the Western Hemisphere and is harming the environment while enriching TCOs. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Reps. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, and Maria Salazar, R-Fla., also signed the letter.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will gain six new Republican members in January, incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., announced Dec. 20.

A bipartisan, bicameral bill would create a Maritime Security Trust Fund, into which revenues would come from tonnage fees on Chinese-owned and Chinese-flagged ships visiting U.S. ports, special tonnage taxes, light money, and tariffs and duties, including Section 301 tariffs.

Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., introduced a bill Dec. 17 to authorize the president to sanction foreign persons and vessels involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.