North Korea's nuclear detonation claims are a grave provocation and threat to international peace and security, and must be met with firm action and a clear effort to halt Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

I urge my colleagues to swiftly pass my legislation to tighten sanctions since it's obvious the sanctions we have in place are all-too-often ignored and North Korea continues to get away with bad behavior. In addition to congressional action, I also call on the United Nations Security Council to impose, and to vigorously enforce, additional sanctions.

Developments in North Korea – including its nuclear and missile tests, its human rights record, its illegal arms trade with Cuba, the cyber hack of Sony in 2013 – highlight the continuing threat that North Korea poses to the United States, our allies and friends in the region, as well as the increasing dangers of severe instability on the Korean Peninsula.

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