Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced Wednesday that the Senate approved the Burma Democracy Promotion Act of 2007. The legislation, sponsored by Senators McConnell and Joe Biden (D-DE), now heads to the House of Representatives to be reconciled with its version of the bill.



“I am pleased that the Senate passed this bipartisan legislation, which would further tighten the economic sanctions on the regime,” McConnell said. “Perhaps the action taken by the Senate today will spur the UN Security Council to take action of its own, in the form of an arms embargo against the Burmese regime.”



This legislation, if enacted, would ratchet up the already-tight sanctions against the Burmese junta by restricting the flow of Burmese gemstones and timber into the United States. It also would create a special coordinator at the State Department to oversee U.S. policy toward the regime. The position would be subject to Senate advice and consent.



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