WASHINGTON—House Republicans and Democrats joined together Tuesday to overwhelmingly approve legislation that aims to punish North Korea for conducting its latest nuclear test.
Just hours ahead of President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address, lawmakers passed the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act by a vote of 418-2. The bill proposes stronger sanctions that deny Pyongyang the money it needs for developing miniaturized nuclear warheads and the long-range missiles to deliver them, according to the legislation’s backers.
Cutting off North Korea’s access to cash also makes it difficult for Pyongyang to pay its army and police forces, said Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“What we are concerned about here is the miniaturization of nuclear warheads that fit onto its most reliable missiles,” Royce said Monday on the House floor. “This threat is unacceptable, and it has to be aggressively challenged.”
The White House does not oppose the House sanctions bill, said a senior administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the legislation and requested anonymity. The administration is deeply concerned about North Korea’s recent actions, the official said, and will continue to use existing sanctions authorities to prevent financial support for North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
Republicans who have criticized Obama’s foreign policy as feckless used the timing of the vote to demonstrate that they are taking swift action to deal with threats to the U.S. while the president procrastinates.
“When America doesn’t stand up to dictators, problems around the world only get worse,” said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). “Foreign aggressors take American inaction as a sign of weakness, and the result is only more instability and insecurity abroad.”
