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US Senate Approves New North Korea Sanctions

Michael Bowman

   CAPITOL HILL - The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a massive yearly
   authorization for America's armed forces that includes a new round of
   sanctions against North Korea and comes amid fulsome debate on
   President Donald Trump's latitude to take military action against Iran.
   The vote was 86-8.

   The National Defense Authorization Act budgets $750 billion for the
   Pentagon for the 2020 fiscal year, which begins in October, up from
   $716 billion this year.

   The bill allows for the full universe of activities conducted by the
   branches of America's armed forces. In addition, it authorizes the
   creation of a U.S. Space Force at the behest of the Trump
   administration, mandates cybersecurity initiativesand sets forth a 3.1%
   pay raise for military personnel.

   "It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this legislation
   to the ongoing missions of our nation's men and women in uniform," said
   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, calling
   the NDAA "a declaration to both our allies and adversaries of America's
   strategic resolve."

   Folded into the bill are numerous provisions relating to national
   defense but separate from the Pentagon, such as new economic pressure
   against North Korea in hopes of forcing Pyongyang to abandon its
   nuclear ambitions.

   Under the bipartisan measure, entities doing business with North Korea
   would be blocked from the U.S. banking system. In 2010, Congress
   approved similar sanctions against Iran that were widely believed to
   have compelled Tehran to the negotiating table over its nuclear
   program.

   "We're sending a very clear message: You can do business with North
   Korea or you can do business with the United States," Democratic Sen.
   Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said. "But if you choose North Korea, you
   can't do business here and you will be held to account."

   "For decades, negotiations with the North Korean regime have been gamed
   by the North Koreans," Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey said.
   "They are developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and they
   have become a direct and growing threat to the U.S. mainland as well
   as, obviously, our allies."

   Toomey added, "In my view, the only way we can hope to change North
   Korea is with crippling sanctions. The sanctions currently in place are
   not sufficient."

   Congress took up new punitive measures as on-again, off-again nuclear
   discussions between the Trump administration and North Korea's regime
   appear in limbo.

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