House passes bill to toughen North Korea sanctions

The House on Monday passed a bill by voice vote to enhance U.S. sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear proliferation program.

The measure would prevent sanctioned North Korean officials from entering the U.S. or its financial system. It would also block any assets with connections to North Korea’s proliferation activities or human rights violations.

{mosads}”By shutting down North Korea’s illicit activities, we deprive the Kim regime of the money he needs to pay his generals and to conduct nuclear weapons research,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.). 

“North Korea is undoubtedly one of the most significant security threats that we here face and our allies face,” Royce added.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said the U.S. should send a message that it will not tolerate North Korea’s repeated decisions to ignore international condemnations.

“The U.S. will not and cannot allow an authoritarian regime to operate with impunity and threaten our national security and that of our allies,” Connolly said.