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Treasury nominees emphasize CFIUS vigilance and tougher action on illicit finance
Summary
Christopher Pilkerton and Jonathan Burke told senators they would strengthen screening of foreign investment and use sanctions and enforcement tools to disrupt illicit finance, with Pilkerton focusing on non‑notified transactions and Burke on sanctions and private‑sector cooperation.
Christopher Pilkerton, nominated to lead Treasury's investment‑security work and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) portfolio, told the Senate Banking Committee he would prioritize national security in overseeing foreign investment and focus on transactions that go unreported to CFIUS.
Pilkerton said that critical technologies, artificial intelligence and quantum computing are priorities and pledged to work with the intelligence community and law enforcement to identify 'non‑notification of covered transactions' and strengthen compliance and enforcement. He told Senator Ricketts he would cooperate with agricultural and defense stakeholders to ensure that foreign purchases of U.S. farmland near sensitive installations are detected and reviewed by the appropriate agencies.
Jonathan Burke, the Treasury's nominee for Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, highlighted Treasury's role in using sanctions and regulatory tools against state and non‑state actors. Burke said effective sanctions require diplomatic coordination to change behavior and cited recent administration actions targeting Iranian networks as examples; he also urged engagement with the private sector to identify typologies and vulnerabilities that enable illicit finance.
Why it matters: CFIUS reviews and Treasury enforcement actions have direct implications for national security, supply chains, and critical‑technology protection. Both nominees framed their approach as enforcement‑oriented: screening more transactions, strengthening reporting, and using secondary sanctions and diplomatic channels to change foreign actors' behavior.
Representative quotes: Pilkerton: 'I would look forward to working with you as well as the members around the table...and find out how we can use the different tools and authorities that CFIUS has to advance that.' Burke: 'If confirmed...I look forward to supporting that effort' against illicit finance and sanctions enforcement.
