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Dear
Friend,
Countering
North
Korean
Aggression
News
reports indicate
that
North
Korea
tested
a
nuclear
weapon
this
week,
its
fifth
nuclear
weapons
test
overall
and
fourth
since
President
Obama
took
office.
North
Korea’s
reckless
leader,
Kim
Jong
Un,
continues
to
test
nuclear
weapons
and
ballistic
missiles,
which
poses
a
major
threat
to
the
United
States
and
our
allies
around
the
world.
North
Korea's
belligerent
behavior
must
be
stopped;
it’s
imperative
we
drastically
increase
sanctions
enforcement
that
my
North
Korea
Sanctions
and
Policy
Enhancement
Act
called
for,
including
secondary
sanctions
against
Chinese
entities,
additional
sanctions
on
the
regime’s
human
rights
abuses,
and
cyber
sanctions
that
the
Obama
Administration
has
still
not
imposed.
As
North
Korea’s
nuclear
arsenal
and
ballistic
missile
capabilities
rapidly
develop,
we
must
work
closely
with
our
allies
to
counter
this
aggression
by
expediting
the
timeframe
for
the
stationing
of
the
Terminal
High
Altitude
Area
Defense
(THAAD)
system
in
South
Korea,
and
also
enhance
the
trilateral
alliance
between
the
United
States,
Japan,
and
South
Korea.
President
Obama
should
immediately
convene
a trilateral
summit
to
discuss
the
urgency
of
the
North
Korean
threat
and
agree
on
policies
that
will
protect
our
nations
and
together
effectively
deter
Pyongyang's
aggression. While
the
Administration
has
finally
recognized
its
policy
of
‘strategic
patience’
has
failed,
we
must
continue
to
ratchet
up
pressure
on
Kim
Jong
Un’s
regime
and
pursue
all
available
options
to
counter
this
growing
aggression.
Holding
the
Administration
Accountable
for
their
Iran
Ransom
Payment
When
the
Obama
Administration
chose
to
deliver
$400
million
in
an
unmarked
plane
to
Iran
in
exchange
for
the
release
of
American
hostages,
they
put
Americans
around
the
world
at
risk. Now
we’ve
learned
the
Administration
went
even
further
and
made
two
more
payments
totaling
an
additional
$1.3
billion
to
the
Mullahs.
Although
President
Obama
continues
to
deny
this
was
a
ransom
payment,
the
American
people
know
better.
Earlier
this
week,
I
introduced
the
No
Ransom
Payments
Act
with
Senator
Marco
Rubio
(R-FL)
to
ensure
Iran
receives
no
more
money
from
the
United
States
until
the
ransom
payment
is
returned
and
American
victims
of
Iranian
terrorism
are
properly
compensated. The
Obama
Administration
has
demonstrated
time
and
time
again
that it
is willing
to
do
anything
-
including
setting
a
dangerous
precedent
-
to
solidify
its
reckless
nuclear
deal
with
Iran.
I
will
continue
to
hold
the
Administration
accountable
and
press
for the transparency Americans
reserve.
Combating
the
Zika
Virus
This
week,
I
voted
to
approve
more
than
$1
billion
to
combat
the
Zika
virus.
While
a
partisan
minority
continues
to
call
for
Zika
funding
in
the
press,
they
chose
to
block
this
measure
from
moving
forward
for
the
third
time
this
year.
It
is
a
glaring
example
of
the
political
machine
at
its
worst:
the
very
people
who
are
demanding
the
passage
of
Zika
funding
are
its
only
obstacle
to
approval.
It
is
time
to
put
politics
aside
and
approve
these
critical
funding
packages.
I
also sent
a
letter to
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(EPA)
Administrator
Gina
McCarthy
urging
the
EPA’s
continued
collaboration
with
the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
(CDC)
to
register
various
chemicals
that
could
potentially
serve
as
insect
repellents
and
sprays
used
to
fight
the
Zika
virus.
The
EPA
must
evaluate
all
repellents
and
pesticides
for
safety
and
efficacy
prior
to
public
use.
Many
labs
throughout
the
country
are
researching
new
compounds
that
have
shown
promise
for
controlling
mosquitos.
For
example,
the
CDC
lab
in
Fort
Collins,
CO
has
conducted
research
on
Nootkatone,
a
natural
chemical
found
in
grapefruit,
that
has
proven
to
be
an
effective
repellent
and
insecticide
against
mosquitos
carrying
the
Zika
virus.
Prior
to
September,
the
Zika
virus
had
infected
more
than
600
pregnant
women
in
the
United
States,
and
there
has
been
more
recent
evidence
that
the
virus
continues
to
be
transmitted
within
our
boarders.
In
addition
to
supporting
the
$1
billion
in
funding
to
address
this
public
health
emergency,
I
urge
EPA
to
work
expeditiously
with
the
relevant
agencies
to
strengthen
protection
against
the
Zika
virus
through
the
approval
of
safe,
effective
insect
repellents.
Need
Help
with
a
Federal
Agency?
My
staff
is
available
to
assist
you
with
finding
out
the
status
of
a
case
and
requesting
additional
information
from
a
federal
agency.
I
have
offices
in
Denver,
Pueblo,
Grand
Junction,
Fort
Collins,
Greeley,
Yuma,
and
Colorado
Springs.
Learn
more
about
how
we
can
help
here.
Thank
you
for
taking
the
time
to read
my
weekly
update.
If
I
can
be
of any
assistance
to
you,
please
contact my
Washington,
D.C.
office
at
(202)
224-5941.
Sincerely,
Cory
Gardner
United
States
Senator
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