Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Scott Perry joined his House colleagues on both sides of the aisle in protecting the American people against the rogue nation state of North Korea. “We must stand up to North Korea’s continued aggression. Kim Jong Un must be stopped from using nuclear weapons in the region or giving them to our enemies; this is critical to our security, that of our allies and for international stability,” said Congressman Perry.

The move comes in the wake of revelations from a high profile North Korean defector who indicated the country’s leader is “desperate” and capable of striking the United States and its allies, including South Korea and Japan.

The House considered two pieces of legislation this week aimed at reining in North Korean aggression. The first requires the State Department to review and determine whether North Korea is a state-sponsor of terrorism. Under U.S. law, such a designation allows the seizure of financial assets of those who have business dealings with North Korea, thus limiting the cash flow essential to the current missile development program. The second piece of legislation condemns North Korea’s development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and sets the stage to use technology to protect allies in the region from potential nuclear attacks. These bills now await further consideration by the Senate.

In addition, the House Foreign Affairs Committee also passed legislation late last week to weaken the North Korean regime in the international financial system by tightening restrictions to prevent access to U.S. currency, which is needed to finance North Korea’s weapons program. The bill also prevents foreign governments that buy or sell North Korean conventional weapons from receiving certain types of U.S. foreign aid. Congressman Perry serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and supported the proposal.

“We need to use every tool at our disposal to protect our citizens from North Korea’s threats. Each of these proposals is a step in the right direction,” said Perry.

The North Korean government continues to develop its weapons programs, despite recent U.N. findings that the people of North Korea face famine, near universal poverty and forced labor camps.