The House overwhelmingly approved North Korean sanctions legislation last month.
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Rhodes told a Washington think tank on Thursday that the administration and Congress are “in the same space” and agree on the need for increased sanctions.
The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Friday on legislation broadening sanctions against North Korea that is expected to pass with overwhelming support, sending the measure to the White House for President Barack Obama to sign into law.
The Senate measure is aimed at curbing Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear development by targeting financial transactions supporting the effort.
Trump also stressed the importance of China’s influence.
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez described North Korea as a “strange regime” that disconnected itself from geopolitical reality.
“It is clearly time for the United States to start taking the North Korea challenge seriously, following four nuclear tests by Pyongyang”, he said.
Japan similarly announced fresh unilateral sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday in response to Pyongyang’s long-range missile launch, which includes prohibiting North Korean vessels from entering Japanese ports, even for humanitarian purposes, and a complete ban on North Korean nationals from entering into Japan.
With Pyongyang’s nuclear threat growing, the Obama administration is facing criticism that its containment policy of “strategic patience” is blocking talks with Pyongyang.
The legislation comes in the wake of Pyongyang’s recent satellite launch and technical advances that US intelligence agencies said the reclusive Asian nation is making in its nuclear weapons program.
“This is entirely a different situation from Iran”.
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North Korea has been at odds with the worldwide community over its nuclear development since the early 1990s.
