WASHINGTON — House Republicans and Democrats joined together Tuesday to overwhelmingly approve legislation that aims to punish North Korea for conducting its latest nuclear test.

Just hours ahead of President Obama’s final State of the Union address, lawmakers passed the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act by 418-2. The bill proposes stronger sanctions that deny Pyongyang the money it needs for developing miniaturized nuclear warheads and the long-range missiles to deliver them.

A U.S. House bill would use financial and economic pressure to further isolate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from assets in foreign banks. The Associated Press

Cutting off North Korea’s access to cash also makes it difficult for Pyongyang to pay its army and police forces, said Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“This threat is unacceptable, and it has to be aggressively challenged,” Royce said Monday.

The White House does not oppose the House sanctions bill, said a senior administration official who requested anonymity. The administration will continue to use existing sanctions authorities to prevent financial support for North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, he said.

Republicans used the timing of the vote to demonstrate that they are taking swift action to deal with threats to the U.S. while the president procrastinates.

“When America doesn’t stand up to dictators, problems around the world only get worse,” said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

The bill would use financial and economic pressure to isolate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his top officials from the assets that they maintain in foreign banks and from the money that sustains their rule, Royce said. These assets are derived primarily from illicit activities, he said.

A central part of the House bill is to make so-called “blocking sanctions” mandatory rather than discretionary.

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