Republicans and Democrats in the House joined to overwhelmingly approve legislation that aims to punish North Korea for conducting its latest nuclear test.
Lawmakers voted 418-2 Tuesday to approve the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act. The bill proposes to deny Pyongyang the hard currency it needs for developing miniaturized nuclear warheads and the long-range missiles to deliver them.
The vote comes just hours ahead of President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address.
The bill's backers say cutting off North Korea's access to cash also makes it difficult for Pyongyang to pay its army and police forces.
The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce of California, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Royce says the Obama administration has let its North Korea policy "drift."
