The United States House of Representatives passed a bill  onMonday to improve the enforcement and application of sanctions against North Korea.

H.R. 1771, also known as the North Korean Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2013, passed Congress by voice vote without opposition and will now be presented to the Senate for vote.

“The U.S. will not and cannot allow an authoritarian regime to operate with impunity and threaten our national security and that of our allies,” said Congressman Gerry Connolly on Monday.

The bill is designed to inflict sanctionson a number of actors, including those who enact or facilitate