The U.S. House of Representatives, for the first time, passed a defense bill that includes provisions to strengthen sanctions against North Korea.
On Friday, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020,... which approves the spending of some 733 billion US dollars,... passed the House with a vote of 220 to 197.
The bill includes an amendment earmarking 10 million dollars for the verification of North Korea's denuclearization,... and restricts any drawdown of U.S. troops in South Korea from the current level of 28,500.
The legislation calls for secondary sanctions on financial institutions that conduct business with North Korea in violation of existing sanctions on Pyeongyang.
The latest bill also includes a resolution calling for a formal end to the Korean War.
In order for the bill to be confirmed, it needs to be reconciled with a Senate version before being signed into law by President Donald Trump.