If the Senate Commerce Committee takes up a House-passed bill that would ban TikTok if China’s ByteDance does not divest itself of the popular social media application, committee members probably will propose “multiple amendments” to improve the legislation, the panel’s top Republican said last week.

Four House subcommittee chairmen have asked the Biden administration to describe how Iran has spent money that was made available to the country through a recent U.S. sanctions waiver.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced a bill March 13 that would impose financial sanctions on people or groups that engage in anti-U.S. "political warfare," such as spreading propaganda, on behalf of a foreign government, especially China’s.

Twenty-two Republican senators -- including the top Republicans on the Senate Finance and Agriculture committees and one of the front-runners to replace Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- argue that the "current sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports is directly attributable to and exacerbated by an unambitious U.S. trade strategy that is failing to meaningfully expand market access or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade."

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Rep. John James, R-Mich., introduced a bill to expedite congressional reviews of arms sales to Middle Eastern and North African allies and partners that work to normalize relations with Israel and counter Iran and its proxies, the lawmakers announced March 13. The proposed Enhance Cooperation Against Terrorism Act would also require the State Department to develop recommendations to expedite the delivery of defense articles and services to the region.

The House of Representatives on March 13 voted 352-65 to pass a bill that would require China’s ByteDance to divest popular social media application TikTok (see 2403050063).

Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, introduced a bill March 11 that would impose financial sanctions on Chinese companies, government entities and individuals who engage in a “pattern of significant theft” of U.S. intellectual property. Curtis’ proposed ‘‘Combatting China’s Pilfering of Intellectual Property Act,’’ or ‘‘CCP IP Act,’’ was referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., announced March 12 that he has introduced a bill to incentivize the Office of Foreign Assets Control to increase its sanctions enforcement. The bill is needed because “as of recently, OFAC has not been as aggressive in sanctions enforcement as it should be,” the announcement says.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, said March 12 that he's drafting a “tough sanctions bill” to help reduce U.S. reliance on Russian state-owned company Rosatom for nuclear fuel.

A bill to ban TikTok in the U.S. if China’s ByteDance doesn’t divest the popular social media app will head to the full House of Representatives for consideration this week, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.