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This week, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced Senate companion legislation to the Uyghur Policy Act (H.R. 4785), a bipartisan bill led by Reps. Young Kim (CA-39) and Ami Bera (CA-07) to address human rights issues concerning Uyghurs and other minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China.
Reps. Kim and Bera serve as Vice Ranking Member and Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia and Nonproliferation.
The Uyghur Policy Act was introduced in July of last year and passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in September. The bipartisan bill currently has 70 cosponsors.
“The Chinese Communist Party continues to subject Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities to unthinkable human rights abuses every single day. We cannot stand idly by as the CCP undermines human rights, freedom and decency its pursuit of world dominance,” said Kim. “The United States must send a united, clear message against these gross atrocities. That is why I am proud to lead the Uyghur Policy Act and thank Senator Rubio for introducing a Senate companion bill to send a bipartisan, bicameral message of strength and strategy to support Uyghurs and hold the CCP accountable.”
Rep. Kim, who is one of the first Korean American women to serve in Congress and grew up in South Korea during the aftermath of the Korean War, has long been a steadfast supporter of global human rights and was recently selected by Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) to help negotiate a bipartisan, bicameral package to promote U.S. competitiveness and counter China.
