On May 4, the House of Representatives overwhelming passed legislation to place sanctions on North Korea’s shipping and labor trafficking sectors. The 419 to 1 vote came amid rising concerns about that country’s progress toward developing a long-range nuclear missile that could reach the United States. The bill — H.R. 1644, the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act, introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ed Royce (CA-R) — now goes to the Senate, where it may be amended but is expected to pass easily. In remarks on the House floor, Representative Royce stated: “North Korea has worked over…

On May 11, President Trump signed an Executive order creating a Presidential Commission on Election Integrity. The commission is aimed at investigating alleged voter fraud. Vice President Mike Pence will chair the group; Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) will serve as vice chair. The panel will be tasked with studying “vulnerabilities in voting systems and practices used for Federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations and improper voting, including fraudulent registrations and fraudulent voting.” A White House spokesperson said the panel would also include Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson (R), former Ohio Secretary of State…