International Policy
Efforts by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) continue to produce state-sponsored ransomware and have successfully attacked healthcare and public health sector organizations and other critical infrastructure, according to a new advisory.
This Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) was the... Read More »
The United States has joined Australia, India, and Japan in initiating the Quad Cyber Challenge, which seeks to improve cybersecurity across the nations.
"We are inviting Internet users across the Indo-Pacific and beyond to join the Challenge and pledge to practice safe and responsible cyber... Read More »
As part of ongoing bi-national efforts, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents spent Jan. 9-20, 2023, training 13 members of Mexico’s border rescue agency, Grupos Beta, to undertake migrant rescue along the United States-Mexican border.
“It is important that we continue... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) are urging the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the national security risks of consulting companies contracting with the U.S. government and the Chinese government.
The senators also seek GAO examination of potential national... Read More »
Following up on a group letter from July 2022, United States Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) last week called for Congressional action to block any proposed transfer of U.S. F-16 fighter jets and their components to Turkey.
Pallone and more than 30 House colleagues had urged the Biden administration... Read More »
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) is commending House of Representatives colleagues for advancing a measure prohibiting sending Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) products to China.
According to bill provisions, the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act (H.R. 22)... Read More »
Department of Defense (DoD) and Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) officials are commending recently signed Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Projects (RDT&E) and Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) agreements.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Japan Minister of Defense... Read More »
Through the largest presidential drawdown authority committed to date, the Biden administration greenlit $2.85 billion in military equipment to benefit the Ukrainian military’s defense against the ongoing Russian invasion, along with $225 million in additional foreign military financing.
"The... Read More »
The U.S. Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal has placed a $102 million order with Oshkosh Defense for Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) to be delivered to international U.S. allies.
The JLTVs, known for their mobility, protection, reliability, and interoperability as a Light... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) joined U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and seven colleagues to introduce a resolution supporting the Biden administration's efforts to establish a global anti-satellite missile tests moratorium.
“Destructive anti-satellite missile tests create large amounts of space... Read More »
U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and National Fire Academy (NFA) officials are espousing the benefits of the U.S. Arson Investigation Training program in Dubai slated for launch in 2023.
As a means of preparing for the program's formal launch, authorities noted U.S. Fire Administrator Lori... Read More »
Although the United States has largely withdrawn from Iraq in recent years, U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Mike Waltz (R-FL) last week urged the Biden administration to respond to recent Iranian attacks in the country and deter future aggression.
“As Iran continues to sow chaos and... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recommendations to address Chinese nationals potentially transferring technology to foreign entities.
Per the GAO, a third of foreign graduate students studying science, technology, engineering, and... Read More »
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has outlined sanctions against a transnational network procuring technology they maintain supports the Russian military-industrial complex.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) initiated the sanctions in conjunction with the U.S.... Read More »
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) officials are touting a recent gathering of 220 chemical security practitioners from over 70 countries to address combating terrorism, chemical weapons, and explosives use.
INTERPOL hosted its third Global Congress on Chemical Security and... Read More »
In a letter to their Canadian counterparts last week, four U.S. representatives sought to kick off a joint fix for the growing logjam in the NEXUS system, the Trusted Traveler Program for the U.S.-Canadian Border.
That system requires travelers to undergo in-person interviews with agents from... Read More »
Across three cases, the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of New Jersey charged 13 individuals with conspiracy, obstruction, and attempts to aid the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in exerting influence in-country.
According to unsealed... Read More »
A pair of lawmakers have introduced a measure they said seeks to designate New York's Plattsburgh International Airport and Valley International Airport in Texas as Ports of Entry (POE).
Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Mayra Flores (R-TX) recently introduced the Border Airport Enhancement Act,... Read More »
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine still raging on, a collection of House chairs, co-chairs and ranking members introduced non-binding legislation last week meant to encourage President Joe Biden to support the creation of an international tribunal to punish crimes undertaken against Ukraine.... Read More »
Together, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) and the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are co-leading an evaluation trial of TPOXX, an antiviral drug for monkeypox.
With this year’s worldwide... Read More »
Effective immediately, Venezuelans who enter U.S. ports of entry without authorization will be deported to Mexico, according to new enforcement rules laid out by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security this week.
The announcement came alongside declarations of new agreements between DHS and its... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced efforts to issue a regulation making an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for fiscal year (FY) 2023.
The effort is focused on providing a supplemented number of visas to employers in... Read More »
Following reports that the Chinese Communist Party was actively opening and utilizing overseas police departments, U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), with an additional 20 Republican lawmakers, penned a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) recently introduced legislation prohibiting domestic arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
The measure stems from Saudi Arabia's agreement with Russia to cut oil production at last week’s OPEC+ meeting, lending support to Russia in its... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) recently introduced legislation to bolster U.S. military preparedness in response to a global conflict.
Tillis and Shaheen, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently detailed the Promoting Readiness for Overseas Contingencies... Read More »
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) is espousing the benefits of a measure he said seeks to strengthen Taiwan’s defense and deter the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aggression.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican and Chairman of the China Task Force recently introduced the Taiwan Policy... Read More »
Seeking to dial-up support for the Ukrainian war effort and increase scrutiny of Russian actions taken during its invasion, a group of U.S. senators and congressmen last week submitted the bipartisan, bicameral Ukraine Human Rights Policy Act of 2022.
Jointly rolled out by U.S. Sens. Todd... Read More »
Worried about undisclosed foreign influence on United States policy, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Lobbying Disclosure Improvement Act this week to crack down on lobbyist and political party exploitation of a Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA)... Read More »
With much of the world’s attention turned to Russia and its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced the North Korea Policy Act of 2022 last week in order to return greater scrutiny to North Korea.
A bipartisan effort, the bill would... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced the Russia is a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act, which designates the Russian Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST).
“Putin has crossed every line of civilized norms during the war in Ukraine and years... Read More »
While tensions between the United States and China have grown over the years, U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) introduced the Protecting Our Homeland from Chinese Espionage Act this week.
As proposed, the bill would require companies bidding for any Department of Homeland Security (DHS)... Read More »
Looking to get ahead of future health concerns, a new financial intermediary fund (FIF) was officially launched last week by the FIF Governing Board, which was recently created with support from G20 members and other nations, along with a positive vote from the World Bank Board of... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, indicating concerns about Turkey reportedly considering acquiring Russian S-400 missile defense systems.
U.S. Reps. John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) joined 18 colleagues in also restating... Read More »
As the war between Ukraine and Russia enters into its sixth month, the U.S. Army is still finding new ways to help its eastern European ally, and as of last week, that support took the form of a $182 million contract with Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
The company, formed through a combination of... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Tim Scott (R-SC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have introduced the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act (SISA), which seeks to make the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 permanent.
Through SISA, the sanctions regime serves as the nation's best tool to restrain... Read More »
