CONGRESSWOMAN ELISE STEFANIK
CHAIRWOMAN
On Tuesday, January 12, 2016, the House will complete consideration of H.R. 757, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act, as amended, under suspension of the rules. H.R. 757 was introduced on February 5, 2015 by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition, to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform. The Foreign Affairs Committee ordered the bill reported, as amended, by voice vote, on February 27, 2015.
H.R. 757 includes numerous provisions to strengthen U.S. sanctions against North Korea. The bill:[1]
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[1] See Section-by-Section, North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R. 757), provided by Committee on Foreign Affairs
The government of North Korea “has repeatedly violated its commitments to the complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear weapons programs, and has willfully violated multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for it to cease its development, testing, and production of weapons of mass destruction.”[2] The country “poses a grave risk for the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.”[3]
In addition, North Korea’s government “has been implicated repeatedly in money laundering and illicit activities, including prohibited arms sales, narcotics trafficking, the counterfeiting of United States currency, and the counterfeiting of intellectual property of United States persons.”[4] Further, its government has “repeatedly sponsored acts of international terrorism, including attempts to assassinate defectors and human rights activists, repeated threats of violence against foreign persons, leaders, newspapers, and cities, and the shipment of weapons to terrorists and state sponsors of terrorism.”[5]
The President also has determined that the government of North Korea is “responsible for knowingly engaging in significant activities undermining cybersecurity with respect to United States persons and interests, and for threats of violence against the civilian population of the United States.”[6] The government’s conduct “poses an imminent threat to the security of the United States and its allies, to the global economy, to the safety of members of the United States Armed Forces, to the integrity of the global financial system, to the integrity of global nonproliferation programs, and to the people of North Korea.”[7]
Following reports of a recent North Korean nuclear test, Chairman Royce said that “the answer to North Korea’s threats is more pressure, not less. This rogue regime has no interest in being a responsible state. It continues to starve its people while it works to advance nuclear, missile and cyber weapons that pose a direct threat to the U.S. and our allies. The administration’s North Korea policy has proven a dramatic failure, and we urgently need a new approach.”[8]
H.R. 757 is designed to “use nonmilitary means to address this crisis, to provide diplomatic leverage to negotiate necessary changes in North Korea’s conduct, and to ease the suffering of the people of North Korea.”[9] According to Chairman Royce, “North Korea continues to threaten the United States and our close allies with its nuclear, missile, and now cyber capabilities. I am pleased to [introduce this legislation] to step up the targeting of those financial institutions in Asia and beyond that are supporting this brutal and dangerous regime. By shutting down North Korea’s illicit activities, we deprive the Kim regime of the money it needs to pay the generals and to conduct nuclear weapons research.”[10]
In the 113th Congress, the House passed similar legislation, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act (H.R. 1771), by voice vote on July 28, 2014.
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[1] H.R. 757, Sec. 2(1).
[2] Id. at Sec. 2(2).
[3] Id. at Sec. 2(3).
[4] Id. at Sec. 2(4).
[5] Id. at Sec. 2(9).
[6] Id. at Sec. 2(11)
[7] See Press Release—“Chairman Royce Condemns North Korea Nuclear Test,” January 6, 2016.
[8] H.R. 757 at Sec. 2(12)
[9] See Press Release—“Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel Introduce Legislation to Tackle Growing North Korea Threat,” February 5, 2015.
While the bill does not authorize the appropriation of additional funds, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that implementing H.R. 757 sanctions would cost $10 million over the 2016 to 2020 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. Pay-as-you-go procedures apply to this legislation because it would affect direct spending and revenues; however, CBO estimates that those effects would not be significant. The suspension text contains language (Sec. 405) making clear that bill does not authorize additional funds, and will be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized or appropriated.
For questions or further information please contact Jerry White with the House Republican Policy Committee by email or at 5-0190.