Washington, DC – House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) has announced the House of Representatives will consider H.R. 2061, the North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2017 next week. The legislation reauthorizes activities to promote human rights and democracy in North Korea; activities to promote freedom of information in North Korea; and humanitarian assistance to North Korean refugees. More specifically, it updates the freedom of information authorities to reflect technological advances beyond radio broadcasting to include USB drives, mobile devices, and other media. McCarthy and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce (CA-39) released the following statement on the legislation:

“While Kim Jong Un threatens the world with nuclear holocaust, the North Korean people remain trapped in a house of horrors. Forced labor, starvation, and sexual slavery are the norm for millions. But, because of the regime’s iron grip on information, most North Koreans don’t know that life can be better.

“The truth is Kim Jong Un’s greatest enemy. So as we step up sanctions to cut off the cash that funds Kim’s nuclear program, we must also break down barriers to truth in North Korea. This bill will update critical efforts to get real, accurate information into the hands of North Koreans through radio broadcasts, USB drives, mobile devices, and more. When Kim Jong Un has to answer to the North Korean people, he will pose far less danger to us.”

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