[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12089]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                 COUNTERING AMERICA'S ADVERSARIES BILL

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I voted in support of H.R. 3364, the 
Countering America's Adversaries Act, which sanctions Russia, Iran, and 
North Korea. I call on President Trump to sign this package into law, 
without delay.
  This act imposes tough sanctions on Russia for its interference in 
our elections, its attempts to undermine faith in the democratic 
process across the West, its support of the brutal regime of Syrian 
President Bashar al-Assad, and its intervention in Ukraine. Critically, 
the legislation prevents President Trump--who has repeatedly 
demonstrated his affinity for Vladimir Putin--from removing sanctions 
on Russia without the approval of the Congress. It sends a clear and 
unequivocal message to the Kremlin: the United States will not tolerate 
attacks on our democracy.
  The administration has repeatedly certified Iran's compliance with 
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. This landmark, multilateral 
nuclear accord is a critical part of our effort to prevent Iran from 
obtaining a nuclear weapon and has made our partners and allies in the 
region safer. However, Iran's ballistic missile tests, its support for 
regional terrorism, and its human rights abuses merit a strong 
response. This act codifies executive orders sanctioning Iran for these 
dangerous, nonnuclear actions.
  Our response to North Korea--which U.S. officials now believe will be 
able to field a reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic 
missile as early as next year--must be bold and comprehensive. While I 
support the sanctions imposed on North Korea under the Countering 
America's Adversaries Act, I believe they fall far short of the 
aggressive sanctions needed to sever North Korea's ties to the 
international financial system and create the leverage necessary for 
successful nuclear negotiations. That is why I strongly urge the Senate 
to pass the Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea Act, which I 
introduced with Senator Toomey. I look forward to working expeditiously 
with my colleagues to pass comprehensive sanctions on North Korea in 
the fall.

                          ____________________