Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and John Kennedy, R-La., have urged the Trump administration to pressure the EU to repeal a new methane mandate that they say could hurt U.S. oil and gas exports.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced a resolution Dec. 17 urging the Trump administration to seize “shadow fleet” vessels that transport sanctioned Russian oil.

House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar of Michigan and eight other congressional Republicans asked the Defense Department in a Dec. 18 letter to add 17 firms, including AI startup DeepSeek, to its 1260H List of Chinese military companies.

The U.S. government is taking several steps to curb the transfer of U.S. firearms to drug cartels and other violent groups in Mexico, a State Department official told a congressional panel last week.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., tried and failed Dec. 18 to have the Senate vote on a bill that could lead to additional sanctions on China for providing dual-use items to Russia’s war against Ukraine (see 2508020001).

House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., led 13 other House Democrats in introducing a bill Dec. 18 that would block the sale of advanced AI chips to China and other U.S. arms embargoed countries.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he sent a “friendly note” to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Dec. 16 indicating that he hopes the upper chamber can take up a bill to sanction officials who undermine democracy in the Republic of Georgia.

The House Select Committee on China and the House and Senate Intelligence committees said in a report released Dec. 17 that many Energy Department-funded research projects have been conducted with Chinese entities the U.S. government has placed on restricted lists for their ties to China’s military or role in human rights abuses.

Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have urged the Treasury Department to consider whether the proposed acquisition of media and entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery should undergo a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.

The Senate voted 77-20 on Dec. 17 to pass the final FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes legislation to restrict U.S. outbound investment in China, repeal a Syria sanctions law and authorize sanctioning certain entities that finance opioid trafficking. The NDAA, which the House approved Dec. 10 (see 2512110013), now heads to President Donald Trump for his expected signature.