U.S. lawmakers called for stronger sanctions on North Korea after the communist nation flouted international warnings and launched a banned long-range rocket just a month after its fourth nuclear test.

"Kim Jong-un has taken yet another belligerent step threatening the interests of the United States and our allies," Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.

"As North Korea works to build a nuclear arsenal capable of hitting the United States, it is clear the Obama administration's policy of 'strategic patience' has failed," he said. "This latest aggression underscores the importance of enacting my legislation to strengthen targeted sanctions against this brutal regime."

Royce was referring to a North Korea sanctions bill that the House overwhelmingly passed last month. The legislation, which was combined with similar bills in the Senate, has since passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU0) urged China and Russia to support stronger sanctions.

"North Korea's recent launch of a supposed space satellite is nothing more than a provocative act masked to test a long range missile with offensive military implications. North Korea's continued aggressive actions are dangerous and destabilizing to our region," Bordallo said in a statement.

"I ... urge China and Russia to support sanctions against North Korea. I am concerned that China and Russia continue to block efforts to impose sanctions or take other actions to get North Korea to stop acting in an aggressive manner," she said.

The congresswoman also said that the U.S. stands by South Korea."I am confident that our island (Guam) remains safe from any threats from North Korea. However, we must do more to encourage China and Russia to act responsibly and encourage North Korea to dial down their provocative actions," she said.(Yonhap)