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FEDERALhearing transcript

Testimony on the Impact of U.S. Sanctions

Original title: FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023

January 1, 2021

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The Frame

What this does

The testimony advocates for Congress to mandate that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Treasury Department formally evaluate the effectiveness and humanitarian consequences of U.S. regimes.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

American Friends Service Committee

The organization operates humanitarian programs in sanctioned regions and faces administrative hurdles in delivering aid.

Treasury Department (OFAC)

The agency is responsible for managing sanctions licensing and would be required to implement new reporting protocols if the recommendations are adopted.

Government Accountability Office

The agency would be tasked with conducting formal impact assessments of sanctions regimes.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2021.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document contains written testimony submitted to a Senate subcommittee regarding the need for better government oversight of U.S. programs. The American Friends Service Committee argues that current sanctions lack formal impact assessments and often hinder humanitarian aid efforts in countries like North Korea.

Key Facts

  • U.S. sanctions designations increased by 933% over the last two decades, rising from 912 to 9,421.
  • Current government agencies perform only ad hoc, informal evaluations of sanctions effectiveness rather than comprehensive assessments.
  • There is currently no federal policy or requirement for agencies to conduct formal impact assessments of sanctions programs.
  • The American Friends Service Committee reports 42 instances where humanitarian aid to North Korea was disrupted by bureaucratic procedures despite having correct paperwork.
  • Sanctions impacts cited include shortages of basic supplies, increased manual labor, and reduced access to fuel and transportation.
  • A 2019 study by Korea Peace Now suggests sanctions disproportionately impact women, correlating with increased rates of domestic and sexual violence.
  • The American Friends Service Committee has operated humanitarian programs in North Korea since 1980.

Why It Matters

The testimony advocates for Congress to mandate that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Treasury Department formally evaluate the effectiveness and humanitarian consequences of U.S. regimes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main goal of this testimony?
The goal is to urge Congress to require the GAO and Treasury Department to conduct formal, regular assessments of how U.S. affect local populations and the global economy.
How do sanctions affect humanitarian aid according to the document?
The document claims that bureaucratic procedures and licensing delays often prevent or slow the delivery of lifesaving aid, even when organizations have the necessary permits.

News Coverage

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Lobbying Activity

AARP

$4,110,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDLAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIME/CRIMINAL JUSTICEPHARMACY

P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Exponential Growth of Sanctions

The document highlights a 933% increase in sanctions designations over 20 years, contrasting this rapid growth with a lack of formal evaluation mechanisms.

Connected Entities

personChris Van HollenChairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Financial Services and General GovernmentMap →
organizationAmerican Friends Service CommitteeA peace and social justice organization submitting testimony.Map →
personDaniel JasperAsia Public Education and Advocacy Coordinator for the American Friends Service Map →
organizationOffice of Foreign Assets ControlTreasury Department office responsible for sanctions licensing.Map →
organizationGovernment Accountability OfficeThe federal agency requested to conduct impact assessments on sanctions.Map →
personCindy Hyde-SmithRanking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Financial Services and General GoveMap →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance60
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy50
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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