House Clears for the President's Consideration a Bill to Protect the Human Rights of Uyghurs
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Video of the House Floor Debate on the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020"
The full U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation addressing the human rights situation facing Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China. This week's House action occurred in connection with S. 3744, the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020", Ignoring hints of a possible presidential veto, the House passed the bipartisan measure on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, by a vote of 413-1, clearing it for the President's consideration by a veto-proof majority.
The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act was developed amid growing congressional frustration with what members on both sides of the aisle have perceived as President Trump’s unwillingness to make the human rights practices of foreign governments a priority, as well their perception that the President has been unwilling to challenge China, specifically, over its human rights abuses.
As cleared for the President's consideration, S. 3744 would impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region and require various reports on the topic..
As cleared for the President's consideration, S. 3744 would impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region and require various reports on the topic..
Background. The Uyghurs are a Turkic minority ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghurs are recognized as native to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwest China. They are considered to be one of China's 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. The Uyghurs are recognized by the Chinese government only as a regional minority within a multicultural nation. The Chinese government rejects the notion of the Uyghurs being an indigenous group.
The Uyghurs have traditionally inhabited a series of oases scattered across the Taklamakan Desert within the Tarim Basin, a territory that has historically been controlled by many civilizations including China, the Mongols, the Tibetans and various Turkic polities. The Uyghurs gradually started to become Islamized in the 10th century and most Uyghurs identified as Muslims by the 16th century. Islam has since played an important role in Uyghur culture and identity.
Since 2015, it has been estimated that over a million Uyghurs been have detained in Xinjiang re-education camps. The camps were established under General Secretary Xi Jinping's administration with the main goal of ensuring adherence to national ideology. Critics of China's treatment of Uyghurs have accused the Chinese government of propagating a policy of sinicization in Xinjiang in the 21st century, calling this policy an ethnocide or a cultural genocide of Uyghurs.
The Uyghurs have traditionally inhabited a series of oases scattered across the Taklamakan Desert within the Tarim Basin, a territory that has historically been controlled by many civilizations including China, the Mongols, the Tibetans and various Turkic polities. The Uyghurs gradually started to become Islamized in the 10th century and most Uyghurs identified as Muslims by the 16th century. Islam has since played an important role in Uyghur culture and identity.
Since 2015, it has been estimated that over a million Uyghurs been have detained in Xinjiang re-education camps. The camps were established under General Secretary Xi Jinping's administration with the main goal of ensuring adherence to national ideology. Critics of China's treatment of Uyghurs have accused the Chinese government of propagating a policy of sinicization in Xinjiang in the 21st century, calling this policy an ethnocide or a cultural genocide of Uyghurs.
Summary of Immigration and Refugee Provisions. With respect to immigration and refugee policy, the measure would require the president to impose visa-blocking sanctions on individuals identified as abusing the human rights of Uyghurs. It also would require the Secretary of State to report on a number of things, including a description of the frequency with which foreign governments are forcibly returning Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other refugees and asylum seekers to the People’s Republic of China.
Legislative History.. The following is a brief legislative history of the measure:
The first version of the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act" was introduced in the Senate on January 17, 2019, by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) as. S. 178. It was introduced in the House on that same day by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) as H.R. 649.
The Senate passed the Senate-passed version of S. 178 on September 11, 2019, by unanimous consent.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs marked up S. 178 on October 30, 2019, amending it an ordering it to be reported to the full House.
The full House of Representatives took up the House Amendments to S. 178 on December 3, 2019, passing it by a vote of 407-1.
A new version of the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act" was introduced in the Senate on May 14, 2020, by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) as. S. 3744.
The Senate passed S. 3.744 on May 14, 2020, by unanimous consent. The House followed the Senate on May 27, passing it by a vote of 413-1.
The first version of the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act" was introduced in the Senate on January 17, 2019, by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) as. S. 178. It was introduced in the House on that same day by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) as H.R. 649.
The Senate passed the Senate-passed version of S. 178 on September 11, 2019, by unanimous consent.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs marked up S. 178 on October 30, 2019, amending it an ordering it to be reported to the full House.
The full House of Representatives took up the House Amendments to S. 178 on December 3, 2019, passing it by a vote of 407-1.
A new version of the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act" was introduced in the Senate on May 14, 2020, by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) as. S. 3744.
The Senate passed S. 3.744 on May 14, 2020, by unanimous consent. The House followed the Senate on May 27, passing it by a vote of 413-1.
House Floor Consideration. The House took up S. 3744 on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, using a procedure known as “suspension of the rules.” Under that procedure, floor debate is limited to 40 minutes, no floor amendments to the measure are permitted, and the bill must receive the affirmative votes of at least two-thirds of those Members who are present and voting in order to be passed.
The Democratic floor manager of the bill was Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA). The Republican floor manager was House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Minority Member Michael McCaul (R-TX). Both the majority and minority floor managers supported the measure.
Democrats speaking in favor of the the bill on the House floor were Representatives Sherman, Jim McGovern (D-MA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Republicans speaking in favor of the bill were Representatives McCaul and Christopher Smith (R-NJ), the sponsor of the House version of the bill.
No Members spoke in opposition to the bill.
The Democratic floor manager of the bill was Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA). The Republican floor manager was House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Minority Member Michael McCaul (R-TX). Both the majority and minority floor managers supported the measure.
Democrats speaking in favor of the the bill on the House floor were Representatives Sherman, Jim McGovern (D-MA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Republicans speaking in favor of the bill were Representatives McCaul and Christopher Smith (R-NJ), the sponsor of the House version of the bill.
No Members spoke in opposition to the bill.
Next Steps. Now that Congress has cleared S. 3744 for the President's consideration, the next step in the legislative process is for the bill to presented to him for his signature or veto. At the time of this writing, it was unclear whether the President will sign the measure into law or veto it.
When asked during a May 26, 2020, press availability whether he would sign the measure, the President asserted that he was going to take a hard look at it later that day. However, the White House never released a Statement of Administration Policy on the bill and declined to respond to questions about it on Wednesday, as the House was taking up the measure.
When asked during a May 26, 2020, press availability whether he would sign the measure, the President asserted that he was going to take a hard look at it later that day. However, the White House never released a Statement of Administration Policy on the bill and declined to respond to questions about it on Wednesday, as the House was taking up the measure.
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