WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, released the following statement on the National Security Study Memorandum (NSSM) on fighting corruption released by The White House today.

“President Joe Biden has taken an important step toward enhancing the ability of the United States government to combat corruption and criminal actors worldwide. Defining the fight against corruption as a ‘core U.S. national security interest’ sets a standard for how our government, our partners, and others can work together to combat such illicit, corrosive activity. The inter-agency review that he has directed the National Security Advisor to lead should yield a robust strategy that brings all the tools at the disposal of the United States to bear on one of the most consequential problems we face. I look forward to seeing the results of this high level report and working with the Biden-Harris administration to target corruption wherever it is found.”   

Senator Cardin is the lead author of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act that has been utilized by presidents of both parties to sanction corrupt actors around the world.