House sends North Korea sanctions bill to president

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Congress sent President Barack Obama legislation Friday that hits North Korea with more-stringent sanctions for refusing to stop its nuclear weapons program.

House Republicans and Democrats joined together to overwhelmingly approve the bill by a vote of 408-2 less than a week after North Korea launched a rocket carrying a satellite into space. Pyongyang conducted its fourth underground nuclear test last month. Both actions sparked worldwide condemnation and heightened fears the reclusive Asian nation is moving steadily toward assembling an atomic arsenal.

The Senate unanimously passed the legislation earlier this week, 96-0.

The Obama administration said it wouldn’t oppose the bill, but officials declined to say whether or when Obama would sign it. The expanded sanctions from Congress come at the same time the U.S. and China are in delicate negotiations over a U.N. Security Council resolution on new sanctions, with China raising concerns about measures that could devastate North Korea’s economy.

“We’re philosophically and intellectually in the same place as Congress on this, so that will not be a bill that we’ll oppose,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Friday.

The expanded sanctions are intended to deny North Korea the money it needs for the development of miniaturized nuclear warheads and the long-range missiles required to deliver them.

The legislation also authorizes $50 million over the next five years to transmit radio broadcasts into North Korea, purchase communications equipment and support humanitarian assistance programs.