Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced a bill June 18 aimed at removing obstacles to defense trade within the four-year-old Australia-U.K.-U.S. security partnership.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said June 18 that the Trump administration should have agreed at this week’s Group of Seven summit in Canada to lower the international price cap on Russian oil.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted June 18 to approve 10 Trump administration nominations, including Jacob Helberg as undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment and Andrew Puzder as U.S. ambassador to the EU.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., announced June 18 that he is reintroducing a bill that would require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to annually update its list of sensitive military, intelligence and national laboratory facilities. The Protect Our Bases Act is intended to ensure CFIUS reviews foreign land purchases near sensitive sites. The legislation, which Scott previously introduced in the last Congress, has 11 co-sponsors, all Republican.

A provision included in a cryptocurrency bill the Senate passed late June 17 would require stablecoin issuers to certify annually that they have implemented anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance programs.

Rodney Scott, who once led the Border Patrol, was confirmed by the Senate to be the leader of CBP, on a 51-46 vote. All Republicans present voted for Scott, and no Democrats or independents did.

Ten Senate Democrats, including Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., urged the State Department to retain the staff and programs of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), whose duties include administering sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

The Senate is getting closer to formally considering a bill that would impose a wide range of sanctions on Russia and its supporters if Moscow refuses to reach a peace deal with Ukraine, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said June 17.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said June 17 that he expects the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership will demonstrate its worth in the Defense Department’s recently announced review of the security initiative.

Two leaders of the House Republican Study Committee urged Congress June 16 to advance sanctions legislation aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism.