The House of Representatives this week plans to consider a bill that would impose sanctions on foreign persons who engage in or facilitate forced organ harvesting in China. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., introduced the Falun Gong Protection Act in June 2023 (see 2306160009), and the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved it on a 33-0 vote later that month (see 2306260022).

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., and three other Democratic senators plan to introduce a bill to transfer authority over small arms exports from the Commerce Department back to the State Department, Cardin’s office announced June 21. The legislation is intended to stem the flow of U.S.-made weapons to drug cartels, gangs and other violent groups across the Western Hemisphere. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, introduced a similar bill last year (see 2312080066). The Trump administration transferred small arms export authority from State to Commerce in 2020 (see 2001170030).

Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and three other Republican senators have introduced a bill that would require the president to notify Congress before pausing arms deliveries to Israel, Risch’s office announced June 21.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced June 20 that they are introducing a bill to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

A bipartisan group of 41 House members urged the Biden administration this week to “expeditiously implement” and “fully utilize” newly enacted authorities for sanctioning Iranian oil.

The House Select Committee on China is creating a working group to address China’s role as the world’s leading supplier of precursor chemicals for fentanyl, committee Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said in a statement June 20. Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., will lead the new group. A report the committee released in April said that Congress should approve tougher sanctions and import restrictions to stem the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. (see 2404160039). Many of the new measures recommended in the report would be aimed at China.

Senate Banking Committee ranking member Tim Scott, R-S.C., asked the Treasury Department last week to tell him when it plans to provide lawmakers with an overdue report on Iran sanctions.

The House of Representatives last week approved a proposal that would require the administration to report to Congress on how proceeds from illicit Iranian oil exports are funding Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Tehran’s terrorist proxies.

House Foreign Affairs Committee member Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., during a hearing on competition with China in the Western Hemisphere, argued that the shortages experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic show that businesses should move supply chains to the Western Hemisphere.

Sens. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., introduced a bill June 11 aimed at preventing foreign terrorists from acquiring unmanned aerial vehicles, which are increasingly used to attack U.S. troops.