International Policy
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 »
A group of lawmakers have introduced a bill they said seeks to enable Afghans with temporary status, who undergo additional vetting, to apply for permanent legal residency.
Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Richard... Read More »
A group of Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) lawmakers are requesting a hearing to address Chinese influence and information theft at Federal Reserve Banks.
HSGAC Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-OH) joined Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Rand Paul... Read More »
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Ukrainian State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP) recently announced an expanded cybersecurity Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC).
“I am incredibly pleased to sign this MOC to deepen... Read More »
National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) authorities recently detailed collaboration with 94 Interpol member countries resulting in 7,800 illicit medication seizures totaling $11 million.
Operation Pangea XV was conducted from June 23-30. The scope of work included... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) recently introduced legislation to monitor Iran's nuclear weapons and missile capabilities.
The Iran Nuclear Weapons Capability Monitoring Act of 2022 would establish a Department of State-spearheaded task force responsible for regularly... Read More »
Seeking to progress key homeland security agreements and objectives, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced expanded security cooperation with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Robert Silvers, Under Secretary for Policy at the DOE, penned security arrangements with... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Young Kim (R-CA) have introduced a bill that seeks to ensure efficient delivery of domestic defense equipment sold to Taiwan and Indo Pacific allies.
The Arms Exports Delivery Solutions Act (H.R. 8259) would track transfers while reaffirming congressional... Read More »
As the war between Ukraine and Russia continues unabated, despite hundreds of deaths and months of economic sanctions, some lawmakers in the United States have begun looking to the future, with a resolution committing the United States to rebuild the ravaged Ukraine.
Essentially, the bill would... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) recently formed the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Cyber program-managed joint initiative, which would enhance critical infrastructure cyber... Read More »
This week, a bipartisan call from four senators urged the U.S. Department of Defense to dispatch more advanced artillery rocket systems and ammunition to Ukraine in support of its efforts to repel a Russian invasion.
In a letter, U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick... Read More »
A bipartisan collection of 34 senators expressed concern this week amid reports that the Pentagon may downgrade the U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) position based in Israel to a colonel rather than a three-star general.
The senators argue that the change could disrupt operations at a key U.S.... Read More »
Following up on the demands made by the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week published its official strategy for barring importations from China’s Xinjiang region and cracking down on goods made from forced labor.
China has come... Read More »
