Gardner act would sanction those aiding North Korea

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s (R-CO) North Korea Sanctions Policy and Enhancement Act was approved on Thursday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Mandatory sanctions on individuals who contribute to North Korea’s nuclear program and proliferation activities would be imposed by the act. Mandatory sanctions would also be imposed on those taking part in North Korea’s cyberattacks and for those who are involved in the regime’s censorship or who contribute to its ongoing human rights abuses.

“The Obama administration’s policy of ‘strategic patience’ toward North Korea has been a strategic failure,” Gardner said. “Despite North Korea’s repeated nuclear tests and long record of gross human rights atrocities, which represent a grave threat to global security, North Korea’s forgotten maniac has been met with indifference instead of strength. North Korea’s fourth nuclear test earlier this month marks the third nuclear test to take place during the Obama administration, providing further evidence that Pyongyang’s capabilities are growing and reaffirming that we can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the North Korean threat.

“The North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act imposes broad, mandatory sanctions on the North Korean regime in order to apply the pressure required to change North Korea’s pattern of illicit activities that have gone unchecked for too long. I thank Chairman Corker for his leadership, and look forward to this bill moving through the legislative process.”

The act is cosponsored by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Risch (R-ID), David Perdue (R-GA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Steve Daines (R-MT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Mike Rounds (R-SD)