Woonsocket Radio News Room

Amo and Kim Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Powerful Technology that Advances America’s Foreign Policy Goals

 Measure recognizes the potential of blockchains to advance democratic values and humanitarian aid delivery

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), alongside Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40), reintroduced a bipartisan resolution that promotes distributed ledger technologies (DLT) such as blockchain to support democratic governance, human rights, freedom of information, transparency, and innovation around the world. The resolution urges agencies across the federal government to explore and support the development and application of DLT and expresses Congress’s commitment to advancing responsible innovation.  

 

“Innovative technology like blockchain helps promote transparency and strengthen democratic institutions around the world,” said Congressman Amo, Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. “I am proud to once again partner with Congresswoman Young Kim on this bipartisan resolution to advance the United States’ continued leadership in emerging distributed ledger technologies as we work to uphold American values and interests around the world.”

 

“U.S. leadership in emerging technologies like blockchain not only improves Americans’ lives but also helps us advance transparency in U.S. foreign assistance, human rights, and freedom across the globe,” said Congresswoman Kim, Chairwoman of the East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee. “This legislation is vital, especially as we see the Chinese Communist Party exporting its surveillance technologies and authoritarianism abroad. I am proud to join Congressman Amo to lead this bipartisan resolution to ensure the United States shines as a beacon of hope, freedom, and innovation on the world stage.”

 

BACKGROUND

DLT is the technological infrastructure and protocols which allow simultaneous access, validation, and record updating across a networked database. Blockchain, an advanced database mechanism, is created from this technology.

 

DLT offers new and innovative solutions to pressing challenges across governance, economic systems, and humanitarian efforts, including:

  • Enhancing transparency. By securely recording transactions, DLT has the potential to help reduce fraud and corruption, ensuring greater government accountability. DLT has enhanced transparency in nation-states like Georgia, where blockchain transformed land registration and reduced corruption while protecting property rights.
  • Empowering democratic governance. DLT has the potential to strengthen democratic institutions and processes. In the 2024 election, DLT was also used domestically in Screven County, Georgia to ensure that the election results could not be altered and to provide transparency to their voters.
  • Improving the delivery of global aid. DLT has shown potential to minimize fraud and improve the transparency and efficiency in global aid distribution. It is already being used by the World Food Programme’s Building Blocks project to provide aid in Jordan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, and Ukraine.
President Trump is making major changes in the form of tariffs on what he calls "Liberation Day." The tariffs cover a wide-range of products and are targeting several countries, including Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union. Trump says trading partners have "looted, pillaged, and raped" American industries for decades, leading to a loss of U.S. jobs and manufacturing.        The Midwest and South are being rocked by tornadoes. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has already issued a rare "high" risk severe weather outlook for the mid-South, mid-Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys. Parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas, and Missouri are already under a tornado watch.        Federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams are being dropped. A federal judge issued the decision to toss the case this morning at the urging of the Department of Justice under President Trump. The Trump administration argued the corruption charges brought against Adams while Joe Biden was President were in retaliation for Adams' outspoken position against illegal immigration.        New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is recovering following a record 25-hour speech on the Senate floor. Booker started his marathon speech at seven o'clock Eastern time on Monday night in protest of the Trump Administration. The New Jersey Democrat is protesting President Trump's tariffs, steps he is making in dismantling the Department of Education, as well as several other polices, saying the nation is in crisis.        Amazon is reportedly making a bid to purchase TikTok. The New York Times reports the e-commerce giant has submitted a bid via office letter to Vice President Vance as well as commerce secretary Howard Lutnick. The deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok is Saturday or it will be banned.        The Nintendo Switch 2 is hitting shelves on June 5th. It costs 449-dollars for just the console and everything that comes with it, while customers can purchase a 500-dollar version that comes with Mario Kart World. The new device will be a bigger and faster version of the original Switch.       

Old News Archives