Rep. Cammack Leads RSC Letter To Sec. Blinken About Failures To Sanction Chinese Support Of North Korea

Press release from the office of Rep. Kat Cammack

Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), along with Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Jim Banks (R-IN-3) and RSC National Security and Foreign Affairs Task Force Chairman Joe Wilson (R-SC-02), led a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding the Biden administration’s failure to use congressionally approved sanctions against China for providing support to North Korea.

The letter—signed by 28 members of Congress—notes that the administration has issued sanctions on North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs twice, but questions why additional entities in China and Russia have not been sanctioned following noted violations by the United Nations Security Council.

Key questions asked by the letter include:

• Why did the administration not designate additional entities in China and Russia as part of its North Korea sanctions designations?
• Why has the administration not sanctioned additional entities, individuals, and financial institutions for violations of the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016?
• What measures is your administration taking to impede the relationship between North Korea and Iran?

“Sanctions against North Korea will not work until we hold China accountable. Under President Trump, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Chinese banks and financial institutions that provided support to North Korea, but ever since Biden took office, we’ve seen zero sanctions out of this White House,” said Rep. Cammack. “Despite several missile launches and provocations, this administration repeatedly fails to hold China accountable for its work with North Korea. I am pleased to lead my Republican Study Committee colleagues in calling out the Biden State Department for its gross failures on this front.”

“Sanctions on North Korea are worthless if you refuse to hold China accountable. President Trump understood this, but more than a year into his presidency, Joe Biden has failed to impose sanctions the Trump administration placed on Chinese banks and financial institutions that support North Korea,” said RSC Chairman Banks. “It’s a puzzle, and the only explanation I can find is that Biden wants to protect his family’s multi-million-dollar business dealings. I’m grateful to the more than 20 members of the Republican Study Committee who joined Rep. Cammack’s letter to the Biden State Department.”

Added RSC Task Force Chairman Wilson: “The Biden administration is severely lacking in its policy on North Korea as Kim Jong Un continues testing ballistic missiles. We need answers as to why this administration refuses to designate individuals in China and Russia under sanctions against North Korea’s ballistic missile program.”

Original signees of the letter include Reps. Cammack, Banks, Wilson, Ted Budd, Guy Reschenthaler, Dan Crenshaw, Neal Dunn, Buddy Carter, Byron Donalds, Jeff Duncan, Doug LaMalfa, Debbie Lesko, Doug Lamborn, Jake LaTurner, John Joyce, Tracey Mann, Blake Moore, Markwayne Mullin, August Pfluger, Bryan Steil, Greg Steube, Chris Stewart, Mike Waltz, Brad Wenstrup, Brian Babin, Ben Cline, Nicole Malliotakis, and Bob Good.

The full text of the letter can be found here.