U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) spoke on the House floor during debate in the House of Representatives  today: 

Mr. Speaker, the North Korea dictatorship is an existential threat that requires significantly enhanced vigilance and response. 

The North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2016 authored by Chairman Ed Royce will ensure that the Obama Administration takes meaningful action to mitigate North Korea’s cruelty, human rights abuse and military danger.

The U.S. can no longer sit on the sidelines while Kim Jong-un proliferates nuclear and missile technology and abuses and starves the North Korean people.  

North Korea violates every single human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.   North Korea is listed by the State Department as a “Tier 3” country with respect to human trafficking.  It designated as one of eight “Countries of Particular Concern” for engaging in egregious violations of religious freedom. 

The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on North Korea recommended that the United Nations’ impose targeted sanctions on the North Korean leaders responsible for massive crimes against humanity.  However, China blocks effective U.N. actions.  That is why the Congress and the Administration must act.  North Korean human rights abusers must be identified and listed so that sanctions can be appropriately applied.

North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket last week reenergized concern over that country’s intercontinental ballistic missile program.  The launch was strongly condemned by the UN Security Council, which vowed to apply further sanctions.  Hopefully, the Security Council’s investigation will include partner nations who purchase North Korean missile technology.  We do not now have definitive evidence about North Korea’s proliferation activities, but a robust investigation should reveal violators. 

In its quest for more nuclear weapons and the ballistic missiles to deliver them,  North Korea threatens to destabilize the world.  Over the past decade, this rogue nation, has apparently conducted four nuclear tests.  North Korea reportedly has a small stockpile of nuclear weapons, but since it is no longer a party to the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, there is little definitive knowledge about the extent of its nuclear capabilities.

We are certain, however, that Iran, to whom the Administration just released billions of dollars, is one of North Korean’s nuclear partners.   As witnesses testified at a joint hearing last July held by three Foreign Affairs subcommittees, there is ample evidence that Iran has a longstanding nuclear collaboration with North Korea. 

We should be very concerned that the Iranians will at some point acquire fissile material beyond what they are allowed to produce for themselves.  Or maybe they will clandestinely purchase actual warheads from North Korea.  Or perhaps Iran will get its enriched uranium stash back from Russia.

At a hearing yesterday, I asked Obama Administration’s coordinator for implementation of the Iran nuclear deal where Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was sent.  Where did it go?  Is it in Russia?  I asked.   Do we—or the IAEA—have on-site access where it is stored for verification purposes?   Shockingly, Ambassador Mull said he didn’t know where the enriched uranium is.  He said it was on a Russian ship somewhere. What? 

Surely Secretary Kerry is aware of the Iran-North Korea nuclear linkage.  Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Douglas Frantz, previously a high-ranking Kerry Senate aide, wrote a 2003 article about Iran’s ties to the North Korean nuclear program.  It is less than credible to believe that Frantz and Kerry never discussed this issue.  Therefore, Iranian entities and individuals should be among the first investigated for their ties to the North Korea nuclear program.

The North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act will help uncover both Pyongang’s enablers and its customers.  And, it will target with sanctions those individuals responsible for gross human rights violations inside the so-called ‘hermit kingdom.”

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this much-needed legislation.