Ted Poe: “I thank the chairman and ranking member for sponsoring this legislation. Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, North Korea…”

“I thank the chairman and ranking member for sponsoring this legislation. Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, North Korea ordered its missile units on standby to strike the United States. Little Kim, as I call him, and his generals convened a press conference and displayed a chart of what they called U.S. mainland strike plan. The attack plan targeted several major United States population centers, including Austin, Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am personally offended by that. At the time of this plan, it was ridiculed by international media. After all, the administration was pursuing a passive strategic patience plan. But now experts say that, in less than 4 years, North Korea will have intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of raining down nuclear weapons on the entire United States. North Korea is making steady progress on its nuclear program. It conducted two nuclear tests in 2016 alone. So the time has come to tighten the noose on little Kim. We need to choke off the sources of his ill-gotten gain, and these sanctions will help do that. This bill expands sanctions to target some of the regime's most lucrative sources of revenue. It also requires the State Department to reassess whether North Korea should be placed back on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. I think that is long overdue. Little Kim has earned the distinction of being a worldwide terrorist. So little Kim means it when he says he wants to destroy the United States.…”