Bush to Sign Burma Bills This Morning

by Chris Good - 07/29/08 10:11 AM ET

President Bush will sign two bills this morning blocking imports from Burma, including a ban on Burmese gems from entering the U.S.

The first bill renews Congress’s 2003 overall ban on Burmese imports. The second, first proposed by the late House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) in 2007 and put forth recently by current chairman, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) in updated form, bans Burmese the purchase of Burmese gems from third-party sellers.

The legislation enjoys the backing of human rights groups, and continues the U.S. trend of strengthening sanctions against Burma since 2003.

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