The Senate Commerce Committee voted 17-11 May 14 to approve former Energy Department official Paul Dabbar to be deputy commerce secretary, sending his nomination to the full Senate for its consideration. Asked in written questions whether he would ensure the Bureau of Industry and Security has the resources necessary to do its job, Dabbar said he would ensure the Commerce Department, including BIS, “completes its mission.” He also said he would work to "tighten export controls on critical and emerging technologies."
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a leading congressional advocate of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) security partnership, announced May 13 that he has been named co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus.
House Select Committee on China ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said May 13 that he’s concerned the potential transfer of advanced U.S. computing chips to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could allow the sensitive technology to fall into China’s hands.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., reintroduced a bill April 30 that would authorize the State Department to sanction Vietnamese officials complicit in human rights abuses, such as torture and the suppression of religious freedom. The Vietnam Human Rights Act was referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees. The bill has received five previous House approvals -- in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2012 and 2013 -- but has stalled in the Senate each time.
A bipartisan group of five senators urged the Trump administration May 9 to use “all available tools” to hold foreign entities accountable for fueling Sudan’s two-year-old civil war.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., urged the Trump administration May 12 to impose additional sanctions on those fueling unrest in Haiti.
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., urged the Trump administration May 5 to consider national security when reviewing foreign takeovers of U.S. steel companies.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced May 12 that he will try to block U.S. arms sales to countries he believes are “paying off” President Donald Trump.
Reps. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., and Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., reintroduced a bill late last month that would restrict exports of electronic waste, such as old cell phones and computers. The legislation seeks to prevent such waste from being sent to countries that would discard the materials in an environmentally harmful way or turn them into counterfeit electronics that would then be re-sold. The Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act (SEERA), which was previously re-introduced in the last Congress, was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Rep. Andrew Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a bill May 8 that would require a license requirements exception for certain advanced integrated circuits exports to Israel. The legislation was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ogles’ office did not respond to a request for more information.