House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said Jan. 7 that he plans to reintroduce a bill to require additional sanctions against those committing or enabling atrocities in Sudan, systematically blocking humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country, or violating the UN arms embargo on Sudan’s Darfur region.

A bipartisan group of four House members reintroduced a bill Jan. 3 to sanction officials who undermine democracy in the Republic of Georgia.

The leaders of the House Select Committee on China said Jan. 6 that they support the Bureau of Industry and Security’s plans to place new export controls on advanced AI-related chips and believe the agency's upcoming interim final rule should include several specific measures to help keep sensitive technology out of China’s hands.

The House voted Jan. 3 to renew the House Select Committee on China as part of an adoption of rules for the new 119th Congress.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, reintroduced a bill Jan. 3 that would sanction International Criminal Court (ICC) officials for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials over the war in Gaza (see 2405090034).

Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., incoming chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, announced Jan. 2 that Ben Johnson will be the panel’s new staff director. Johnson most recently was staff director for the House Small Business Committee. Also at House Financial Services, Kim Betz will be deputy staff director and general counsel, and Allison Behuniak will be policy director. The committee has played a major role in attempts to pass legislation to restrict U.S. outbound investment in China.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., is joining the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this month for the new 119th Congress, incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Jan. 2.

The Uyghur Human Rights Project said Dec. 30 that it welcomes the five-year extension of two sanctions laws: the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act and the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

A group of Senate Republicans criticized the State Department’s decision this month to renew the U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement for another five years, saying it gives “cover” to universities, businesses and others to continue research cooperation with entities tied to the Chinese government.

Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., urged the Biden administration Dec. 19 to give China’s ByteDance more time to comply with the law that requires the company to divest TikTok by Jan. 19 or face a U.S. ban on the popular social media application.