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.
Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., introduced a bill May 7 that would require the administration to write a report to Congress on Hong Kong’s role in export control and sanctions evasion. The Stop Corrupt Communist Party Money Laundering Act, or Stop CCP Money Laundering Act, also would direct the Treasury Department to determine whether Hong Kong is a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern. The bill, which was referred to the House Financial Services and Foreign Affairs committees, is a companion to legislation that Sens. John Curtis, R-Utah, and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced in April (see 2504080060).
Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., reintroduced a bill May 5 designed to strengthen sanctions against several sources of funding for Myanmar’s military.
The House voted 406-1 late May 7 to pass a bill that would sanction those who fund, sponsor or otherwise facilitate forced organ harvesting or the trafficking of people to remove their organs.
Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., welcomed the Trump administration’s decision to rescind and replace the Biden administration’s AI diffusion rule (see 2505070039), while House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., offered a more guarded response.
Six Senate Democrats -- led by Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire -- urged the Trump administration May 5 to increase sanctions on Russia to pressure Moscow to end its war on Ukraine.
All 24 members of the House Select Committee on China urged the Trump administration May 6 to consider adding Chinese robotics company Unitree to the Bureau of Industry and Security's Entity List and the Pentagon's Section 1260H list of Chinese military companies.