10 February 2016, 06:52 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Senate passed new legislation 96-0 on Wednesday evening that imposes additional sanctions on North Korea after Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket into space over the weekend and tested a nuclear weapon last month.
The Senate bill, authored by Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Gardner, targets North Korea’s ability to access money it needs to develop improved rocket capability and to miniaturize a nuclear warheads that can be placed on missiles.
The legislation also authorizes $50 million for radio broadcasts into the isolated communist state over the next five years.
"We know all too well that the past two decades of North Korean policy from both Republican and Democratic administrations have been an abject failure," Senator Bob Corker said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Previously, the UN Security Council condemned North Korea’s rocket launch, and said it stands ready to develop significant new measures to rein in Pyongyang’s behavior.
