Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a bill Feb. 7 that would authorize the president to sanction Middle Eastern leaders, except those in Israel, who decline to offer humanitarian entry to Palestinians from Gaza. The Make Gaza Great Again Act is intended to encourage cooperation with President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Gaza’s population outside the war-torn territory. The legislation was referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., reintroduced a bill Feb. 7 that would control exports of certain “national interest technology or intellectual property” to China.
President Donald Trump's recent executive order halting prosecutions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act likely won't change the behavior of many companies, given the risk of prosecution globally or in the U.S. after Trump leaves office, lawyers said.
The U.S. should encourage Latin American countries to stop using Chinese-made surveillance equipment at their ports, a lawmaker and a researcher said during a congressional hearing Feb. 11.
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China criticized California-based Lam Research Feb. 10 for not providing documents the panel requested as part of its ongoing investigation on firms that sell semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China.
Sohan Dasgupta has joined DHS as assistant secretary for trade and economic security, he announced on LinkedIn. Dasgupta will work on issues related to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, along with other trade and supply chain issues. He previously served as a DHS deputy general counsel before going to a private practice in 2021.
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., criticized the State Department Feb. 7 for moving ahead with possible arms sales to Israel while he was still reviewing the potential transactions.
William Poplawski, former deputy communications director for the House Select Committee on China, has joined the State Department as a senior adviser, he announced on LinkedIn.
The House Select Committee on China is getting six new members -- four Republicans, two Democrats -- in the new 119th Congress, lawmakers announced last week. The Republicans are Reps. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, Young Kim of California, Nathaniel Moran of Texas and Zach Nunn of Iowa. The Democrats are Reps. Greg Stanton of Arizona and Jill Tokuda of Hawaii. Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., have been reappointed chairman and ranking member, respectively.
Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp. is abandoning its plan to purchase U.S. Steel and is instead hoping to make a “big investment” in the American company, President Donald Trump said during a Feb. 7 press conference.