[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 27 (Monday, February 9, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2080-H2082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BRINGING REAL ACCOUNTABILITY VIA ENFORCEMENT IN BURMA ACT
Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 3190) to amend the Burma Unified through Rigorous
Military Accountability Act of 2022 to extend the sunset, to require a
determination with respect to the imposition of sanctions on certain
persons of Burma, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3190
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Bringing Real Accountability
Via Enforcement in Burma Act'' or the ``BRAVE Burma Act''
SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
Section 5571(e) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (22 U.S.C. 10222(e))
is amended to read as follows:
``(e) Assessment and Report on Sanctions With Respect to
Burmese Persons.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 7
years, the President shall determine whether the following
persons meet the criteria for sanctions described under
subsection (a) or under Executive Order 14014 (86 Fed. Reg.
9429; relating to blocking property with respect to the
situation in Burma):
``(A) Any Burmese state-owned enterprise described in
subsection (c)(1).
``(B) Myanma Economic Bank.
``(C) Any foreign person that the President determines
operates in the jet fuel sector of the Burmese economy,
including through activities such as the provision of
financial services or the importation, exportation,
reexportation, sale, supply, trade, storage, or transport,
directly or indirectly, of jet fuel in Burma.
``(2) Report required.--Upon making the determination
required by paragraph (1), the President shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on the
assessment.
``(3) Form of report.--The report required by paragraph (2)
shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a
classified annex.''.
SEC. 3. LIMITATION OF SHAREHOLDING BENEFITTING THE STATE
ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL OF BURMA.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall
instruct the United States Executive Director at the
International Monetary Fund to use the voice and vote of the
United States, when assessing potential changes to any
shareholding formula in connection with a governance review
of the Fund, to limit, as appropriate, an increase to the
shareholding of Burma if the country is subject to the rule
of the State Administration Council.
(b) Waiver.--The President of the United States may waive
the application of subsection (a) upon certifying to the
Committee on Financial Services of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate that the waiver is important to the national interest
of the United States, with a detailed explanation of the
reasons therefor.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Hill) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our vice chairman, Mr.
Huizenga's bill, the BRAVE Burma Act. The vice chairman is also a
senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Burma has been plagued with an ongoing humanitarian crisis for far
too long. The Burmese people have been the victims of genocide as a
direct result of the military junta's use of funds that fuel these
abhorrent acts.
The bill introduced by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga)
addresses this crisis head-on. H.R. 3190 requires the Treasury
Secretary to limit any increase in Myanmar's influence at the
International Monetary Fund, or IMF, so long as it is governed by the
military dictatorship.
This bill also requires the President to annually determine whether
the United States should impose stronger sanctions on the Myanma Oil
and Gas Enterprise, their economic bank, and any foreigners working in
the jet fuel sector of the Burmese economy.
I commend the vice chairman for his hard work and leadership in
fighting for the humanitarian rights in Burma by cutting off the source
of the funding that is empowering these human rights travesties.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3190, the BRAVE Burma Act,
sponsored by Representative Huizenga.
In February of 2021, Burma experienced a military coup that overthrew
the country's democratically elected government.
The military has carried out mass violence against civilians,
including genocide, mass displacement, and other crimes against
humanity. This is particularly true for the nation's Muslim ethnic
minority, which bears the brunt of the illegitimate government's
violent and regressive persecution.
Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes several economic levers available
to the United States. This includes potential sanctions and restricting
Burma's access to support from the International Monetary Fund. These
are sensible steps to demonstrate Congress' continuing support for the
people of Burma.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the CBO
estimate for this bill.
H.R. 3190, BRINGING REAL ACCOUNTABILITY VIA ENFORCEMENT IN BURMA ACT AS
REPORTED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES ON OCTOBER 3, 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, millions of
dollars--
-----------------------------------
2026 2026-2030 2026-2035
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct Spending (Outlays)........... * * *
Revenues............................ * * *
Increase or Decrease (-) in the * * *
Deficit............................
Spending Subject to Appropriation * * *
(Outlays)..........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* = between -$500,000 and $500,000.
Increases net direct spending in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036? < $2.5
billion.
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2036? No.
Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply? Yes.
Mandate Effects:
Contains intergovernmental mandate? No.
Contains private-sector mandate? No.
H.R. 3190 would require the Administration to annually
determine whether people or entities connected to the state-
owned enterprises in Burma or certain sectors of the Burmese
economy meet the criteria for sanctions under Executive Order
14014. The bill would require the Administration to report on
its determinations. The bill also would require the United
States Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund
to advocate against increases in shareholding for Burma while
the country is under the control of the State Administrative
Council.
Under current law, the Administration can impose sanctions
on individuals and entities that undermine democracy and
peace. Those sanctions include denying visas and blocking
some asset and property transactions for certain people who
have undermined democratic institutions and peace in Burma.
H.R. 3190 does not require the imposition of sanctions or
expand the types of sanctions that could be imposed. If
enacting the bill leads the Administration to broaden those
sanctions, more people would be denied visas by the
Department of State, resulting in an insignificant decrease
in revenues from visa fees. Although most visa fees are
retained by the Department of State and spent, some
collections are deposited into the Treasury as revenues.
Denying foreign nationals entry into the United States also
would reduce direct spending on federal benefits (emergency
Medicaid or federal subsidies for health insurance, for
example) for which those people might otherwise be eligible.
As a result of the determinations required by the bill,
transactions involving certain assets either in the United
States or under the control of people or entities in the
United States could be blocked. Any person or entity
violating those prohibitions would be subject to civil or
criminal monetary penalties. Such penalties are recorded as
revenues, and a portion can be spent without further
appropriation.
On the basis of data about similar sanctions, CBO estimates
that any additional sanctions resulting from the bill would
affect a small number of people. Thus, enacting H.R. 3190
would have insignificant effects on revenues and direct
spending, and would, on net, reduce deficits by less than
$500,000 over the 2026-2035 period.
On the basis of information about the costs of similar
reporting requirements and on diplomatic efforts to influence
the actions of
[[Page H2081]]
other nations and international organizations, CBO estimates
that the reporting and advocacy required by the bill would
cost less than $500,000 over the 2026-2030 period. Such
spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated
funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Emma Uebelhor.
The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy
Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
EFFECTS ON DIRECT SPENDING AND REVENUES OF LEGISLATION CONSIDERED UNDER SUSPENSION OF THE RULES IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9, 2026
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional
Information on
Bill Number Title Effect on Direct Effect on Revenues Direct Spending
Spending and Revenue
Effects
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.R. 3190....................... BRAVE Burma Act, Change by Less Increase by at Would reduce
as amended. Than $500K, Least $500K. deficits by less
Direction Unknown. than $500K.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Congressional Budget Office.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga), the author of this important bill, the
vice chairman of the Financial Services Committee, and a senior member
of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the opportunity
to speak on my bill, H.R. 3190, the BRAVE Burma Act.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and ask for its immediate
consideration.
Burma is a country in profound crisis. In February of 2021, a
military-led junta toppled a democratically elected government and
plunged the country into civil war. These actions, coupled with the
March 2025 earthquake, created a humanitarian crisis that has left tens
of thousands of Burmese dead or detained, while approximately 3.6
million people, nearly 6 percent of the population, is now displaced
from their homes.
In response to the calls for action from the Burmese diaspora in the
United States and in my district, I introduced H.R. 3190, the BRAVE
Burma Act.
As I have mentioned many times before, issues involving Burma are
near and dear to my heart, as well as to those of many of my Burmese
constituents and members at the Battle Creek Burma Center in southwest
Michigan. It was there that I first heard the stories about their
families and friends in horrific situations in Burma and the lack of
mainstream media attention given to these issues.
However, we have an opportunity today to send a message. We have an
opportunity today to stand with the current residents of Burma and to
remind them that they have not been forgotten. The BRAVE Burma Act is
intentional in its action, targeting the heart of the junta's revenues,
which it uses to purchase advanced weaponry from abroad.
Specifically, this bill requires the President to impose full
blocking sanctions on, first, the state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas
Enterprise, also known as MOGE. This is the junta's single largest
source of foreign revenue, reportedly generating over $1 billion
annually.
Second, the bill requires sanctions on the state-owned Myanma
Economic Bank, also known as the MEB, which is operated by junta
cronies and processes weapons transactions that are contrary to those
sanctions.
Third, the bill requires sanctions on any person operating in the jet
fuel sector of the Burmese economy. The jet fuel industry in Burma is a
key and important target for sanctions because it directly enables the
junta's unlawful airstrikes against civilians, places of worship,
villages, hospitals, IDP camps, and schools.
Depleting the government's ability to control and profit from
aviation fuel imports and distribution will inhibit the junta's ability
to sustain violence and commit war crimes using airpower.
Mr. Speaker, the urgency to act has never been greater. Last month,
it was reported that Iran had become the sole source of jet fuel to
Burma. These secret shipments had not only given Iran much-needed cash
and a new market, but it allowed the Burmese military leaders to
circumvent Western sanctions.
{time} 1700
The deliveries of jet fuel have powered an expansive bombing campaign
by the junta that has struck more than 1,000 civilian locations,
including Christian churches.
While the military ruling class pledged open and fair elections, the
sham process that took place last month should be viewed as a rigged
farce and nothing more. Make no mistake, these mass atrocities will not
stop until the current regime is crippled.
With the support of the Trump administration, which has continued to
turn up the pressure, Congress can shape the future of Burma by
leveraging sanctions and financial oversight.
The BRAVE Burma Act will strengthen U.S. efforts to disrupt
authoritarian regimes, support democratic movements, and protect
vulnerable populations.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Betty McCollum, my co-chair of the
Congressional Burma Caucus and an original cosponsor of this particular
legislation, as well as Representatives Ann Wagner and Seth Moulton,
who helped to make this a truly bipartisan effort.
Mr. Speaker, let me end with this. Since the 2021 coup, nearly 3
million Burmese have been driven from their homes; more than 75,000
people have been killed; and the military has swept up more than 30,000
political prisoners into detention, silencing those who oppose them.
The Burmese military has left a trail of devastation, damaging or
destroying at least 343 Christian churches and numerous other religious
buildings, according to the Burma Research Institute.
The people of Burma can no longer afford for Congress to sit idly by,
and the Trump administration must adopt a unified strategy for Burma,
as both the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury have
done. It is time for the Department of Homeland Security to come to the
same conclusion. Democracy in Burma needs America's help.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan
bill that will have a lasting impact.
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, this bill aims to address the ongoing
humanitarian crisis in Burma by cutting off revenue sources for the
country's ruthless and illegitimate leadership. Congress must do
whatever is possible to protect human rights, stand for democratic
values, and object to the atrocities committed against the Burmese
people.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his dedicated
work on our committee, as well as the Committee on Foreign Affairs, in
crafting economic deterrence to bad actors--certainly, the military
junta in Myanmar is a bad actor--calling loudly for a strong bipartisan
vote in this House on the BRAVE Burma Act, which I hope then will be
promptly considered by the Senate.
This is when the legislative branch and the executive branch work
best together, when we are in alignment on putting pressure against bad
actors around the world.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his work. I urge
a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Williams of Texas). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3190, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
[[Page H2082]]
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