Washington, DC – Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) voted May 29 in the House Foreign Affairs Committee to advance legislation mandating sanctions against those who assist or indirectly support illicit activities in North Korea. The North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2014 (H.R. 1771) requires the President to impose targeted sanctions on people or entities in other countries that contribute directly or indirectly to weapons development, arms trafficking, money laundering, and human rights abuses in North Korea.
“The time for strategic patience is over. When I traveled to the region last month, I heard firsthand concerns from our partners in Northeast Asia that North Korea continues to endanger regional peace and security, as well as economic growth,” said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who spoke in support of the legislation in a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing this morning. “North Korea’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles pose a direct and concrete threat to Americans; to people who live in my state of Hawai‘i, who sit within range of North Korea’s missiles. By putting in robust sanctions against third parties who – directly or through willful negligence – support North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, we can better protect our people and military assets in Hawai‘i and American territories in the Pacific.”
H.R. 1771 also directs the U.S. Treasury Department to restrict access to the U.S. financial system for North Korean banks and third party enablers. Sanctions can be waived for humanitarian aid and when a waiver supports U.S. national interests.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has long advocated for the protection of Hawai‘i and American territories in the Pacific from the growing threat posed by North Korea, and is a strong advocate for U.S. investment in missile defense.