Lawmakers Eye Action on Sanctions Bills for Georgia, Hong Kong, Houthis

Lawmakers plan to take action this week on sanctions-related measures aimed at Georgia, Hong Kong and the Yemen-based Houthis.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled Sept. 24 to mark up the Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act, which would authorize sanctions on the Houthis for human rights abuses, including unlawful killing, torture, prolonged and arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, hostage-taking of U.S. nationals abroad, use of child soldiers and gender-based discrimination. Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Dean Phillips, D-Minn., introduced the bill this month.

The committee also intends to take up the Strategic PRC Port Mapping Act, which would require the Defense and State departments to monitor China’s efforts to build or buy “strategic foreign ports.” Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., introduced the measure in June (see 2406120065).

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is slated Sept. 25 to mark up the Georgian People’s Act, which would sanction Georgian officials for passing “foreign agents” legislation that cracks down on civil society organizations and independent media outlets (see 2405240063). A bipartisan group of six senators introduced the bill in May.

Meanwhile, the newly unveiled continuing resolution (CR) that Congress plans to take up this week to keep the U.S. government temporarily funded includes a short-term extension of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

The Hong Kong law, which was enacted in 2019 and expires in November, requires the president to sanction Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong. The CR would extend the law through Dec. 20.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a bill in June that would extend the Hong Kong law for five years (see 2406070004).

Congress needs to pass a CR because it hasn't passed any of its yearlong appropriations bills for FY 2025, which begins Oct. 1.