Ernst Votes to Expand Sanctions on North Korea

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) today released the following statement after voting in favor of the bipartisan North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016:

“North Korea is a rogue government whose continued provocations threaten our national security and the security of our allies in the region. Due to North Korea’s recent actions of testing a nuclear weapon and a ballistic missile, restarting a plutonium reactor to support its nuclear weapons program, as well as its continuing efforts to undermine U.S. cybersecurity, and committing human rights abuses against its own people—we must not underestimate the threat posed by this dangerous adversary.

“President Obama’s failed ‘wait and see’ approach has enabled North Korea’s destructive behavior. The bipartisan North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act forces the Obama administration to put forward a strategy to investigate and combat North Korea’s aggression by expanding and tightening enforcement of sanctions and demands a comprehensive strategy to stop cyberattacks. This legislation would also require the administration to expose and address human rights abuses.

“The U.S. must stand up against this rogue regime to put an end to their reckless and hostile actions, and work with countries in the region to apply as much pressure on North Korea as possible.”

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