The House nearly unanimously voted to condemn North Korea this morning for its recent nuclear test — with two exceptions from the GOP.
The resolution condemned Pyongyang “for its flagrant and repeated violations” of UN Security Council resolutions, expressed solidarity with North Koreans who suffer under the Kim dynasty, reaffirmed the U.S. alliances with South Korea and Japan, and called upon China to step in and help.
It also called upon the administration to “apply all available sanctions on North Korea,” “to utilize aggressively the range of available legal authorities and resources to defend United States interests against North Korean illicit activities,” and to strengthen our ballistic missile defense system.
It passed 412-2, with Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and freshman Tom Massie (R-Ky.) voting “no.”
“North Korea’s latest nuclear test is a stark reminder that Kim Jong Un is determined to develop his nuclear arsenal while depriving North Koreans of their most basic human rights. Decades of fruitless negotiations have been a failure. As North Korea continues to disregard international norms, it is important that this House has spoken out,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.).
Royce will be introducing legislation targeting North Korea’s ability to access hard currency.
“We can no longer just hope that North Korea will give up its weapons for aid,” he said. “We must be proactive in addressing this growing threat to our allies and the United States.”
Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) called Pyongyang’s actions “an unnecessary provocation, raising tensions in northeast Asia and posing a threat to United States national security.”
“China must play an active role in influencing North Korea to cease their dangerous behavior,” Engel said. “In the face of this aggression, Congress and the American people, Democrats and Republicans alike, will remain vigilant in punishing the North Korean regime and strengthening cooperation with our allies South Korea and Japan.”
PJM is waiting for responses from Amash and Massie on why they voted against the resolution.
I would suspect that Amash and Massie voted against the resolution of condemnation to point out that such resolutions are pointless and ineffectual. What difference do they make?
Good point…..what’s the use of these “condemnation” votes if we Americans don’t literally fire warning shots?….and,…while I think this crass Susan Rice character at the Nations United Against America [N.U.A.A.] is a tragicomic situation, her off-color quip that what follows “..is the usual drill…” is right on target [pun intended].
The only thing these despots [wherever and who ever they may be] understand is the application of force.
Does anyone remember the League of Nations? I thought not. That’s where we’ve placed ourselves, with these nuclear North Koreans and Iranians studying the strategy of the Japanese, Germans, and the Soviets of not all that long ago.
We’re so busy-busy-busy tweetering and twittering and texting that we’ve lost all Historical perspective and reflection.
George Santayana is smirking.
Call me a dreamer but I will never give up the cherished vision of a resolution-free world.
With respect, I’ll call you a Thoreau-like Dreamer.
Right now, we’re in a Martin-Luther-agitated-frustrated state of mind fighting [in our immediate cases] our Asian enemies the Chinese, the North Koreans, and the wide spaced but collected trans-national Muslims. Remember, Asia starts at the Turkish Straits.
These Chinese, North Koreans and collective Muslims simply should not be judged by our traditional Western Judeo/Christian mindsets with our syllogisms and reasoned [in our sense] conclusions reached by logic.
The Chinese wrote the book on “Pragmatism”, The petulant North Koreans are primarily concerned with gaining some sort of “face” at whatever cost, and our widespread Muslim butchering penetrators and throat slitters and beheaders go by their own book….gross pun intended.
Collectively and separately, we’re completely at odds psychologically, and the Chinese, North Koreans and Muslims simply flick aside our “Resolutions” in the same abstract manner as Hillary’s infamous, irritated and albatross-like….”What difference does it make?”
Only talking prevents aggression.
Every student of history knows this!
Fortunately, I prefer a more James T. Kirkian response – phasers on full, fire!
Is there a single member of our government that thinks Kim Jong Un gives a crap about what we think?
Of course the Ltest Kim looks at how we respond to Syria, Egypt, Iran and Benghazi among other snubs by our enemies and figures, we’ll just do what ever we want, The Won is a paper tiger.
Boy, we’re really mad now!
If this doesn’t bring Kim to his senses, we’ll send an even STRONGER worded resolution. With all the paper we send him, Kim can construct his own paper tiger.
These two are probably Paulians. If not, They’re a couple.
They are both Paulbots and a couple, I think: Massie voted for Amash instead of Boehner for Speaker…
What can you expect from the party of STUPID………These IDIOTS should be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail.