Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 138) to amend the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 to modify certain provisions of that Act.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the world is no stranger to the CCP's aggression. As they increase hostilities against Taiwan and other allies in the region, it is abundantly clear that the CCP seeks to dominate the Indo- Pacific and beyond. Just look at their military activities around Taiwan, Mr. Speaker, their harassment of the Philippine ships in the South China Sea, and their support for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.

The CCP has a long history of subjugation that extends beyond Asia. The CCP has a long and violent record of oppression against the people of Tibet. In October of 1950, Chinese Communist troops annexed Tibet, slaughtering tens of thousands of innocent Tibetans and monks. The CCP's ongoing oppression of the people of Tibet ultimately forced the Dalai Lama to flee to India. This persecution has continued to this day.

In November, the CCP released a white paper on its policies in Tibet. In this document, the party doubled down on its oppression and crackdown on the religious and economic freedom of Tibetans. Some of the actions taken by the CCP include setting up boarding schools to ``reeducate'' Tibetan children, clamping down on the use of Tibetan language, restricting movement of Tibetans, and even attempting to insert themselves into the succession of the Dalai Lama himself.

This white paper demonstrates the need for this bill, and I am proud to have co-introduced this with Representative McGovern.

The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act helps Tibetans in several ways. It pushes back against CCP propaganda about the history of Tibet. The United States has never accepted that Tibet was part of China since ancient times as the CCP falsely claims. This legislation clarifies U.S. policy and highlights the unique language, religion, and culture of the Tibetan people. It directs U.S. diplomacy

to push back against CCP propaganda. In addition, it ensures Tibetans have a say in their own future.

This bill stresses a need for a dialogue between the CCP and other democratically elected leaders of Tibet.

Any resolution must include the wishes and voice of the Tibetan people. Tibetans are a democracy-loving people who wish to practice their religion freely and have their own wishes and desires acknowledged.

I am proud to have played a small part in supporting this dream for the Tibetan people.

I thank Senators Merkley and Young who passed this bill unanimously through the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to push back against the CCP's oppression of the Tibetan people and vote in favor of the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this body has always stood for the principles of free speech, independence, and individual liberties. I thank my dear and good friend, Mr. McGovern, for his efforts on this important legislation, as well as Ranking Member Meeks and Representative Bill Keating who worked with me to advance this bipartisan bill.

We are always strongest when we speak with one voice as one nation in support of freedom and democracy. Tibet has a rich, peaceful heritage that the CCP attempted to erase when they

invaded it in 1950, but they have failed. Their attempts to quash this vibrant history have failed because of the resilience of the Tibetan people.

The U.S. strongly condemns all CCP oppression and coercion of Tibetans as well as any CCP involvement in the succession of the Dalai Lama. Despite the CCP's attempts to erase the history and culture of Tibet over the last 70-plus years, it still remains vibrant, strong, and inspirational.

Tibetans, like all people, have the right to religious freedom which includes freedom from CCP's surveillance, censorship, and detention.

If the CCP truly does respect sovereignty, as it claims to, then they will engage in peaceful dialogue with the Tibetans to resolve this conflict, not force Tibet to accept a CCP proposal.

Passing this bill demonstrates America's resolve that the CCP's status quo in Tibet is not acceptable. I can think of no greater message or gift to the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet than the swift passage of this bill to get to the President's desk as soon possible to help put the people of Tibet in charge of their own future.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 138, the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 138, the Senate companion bill to the bipartisan House bill, H.R. 533, which the House passed this February.

My good friend from Massachusetts, Representative McGovern, and Chairman McCaul introduced H.R. 533, and I was proud to support its passage out of committee and on the floor last year. I am glad the Senate has followed suit so we can get to this important legislation that addresses Beijing's severe and ongoing repression of the Tibetan people signed into law.

For too long, Beijing has oppressed the Tibetan people and failed to honor its commitments to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama and his representatives regarding Tibet's future. We are deeply concerned by Beijing's systematic efforts to erase the distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity of the Tibetan people.

In a new effort to stamp out Tibetan identity, Beijing is closing local schools and uprooting children from their families by placing them in centralized Chinese boarding schools far from home. This is effectively preventing Tibetan parents and communities from passing down their language and heritage to the next generation.

This forced assimilation has raised significant concerns from multiple U.N. Special Rapporteurs who have warned that these residential schools function as a large-scale program designed to integrate Tibetans into the dominant Han culture, violating international human rights.

While Beijing employs these tactics to suppress Tibetan culture, it simultaneously propagates disinformation about Tibet and its history.

H.R. 533 calls out Beijing's oppressive tactics and relentless disinformation campaign. This bill reinforces our unwavering support for the Tibetan cause and calls on the PRC to engage in genuine dialogue with Tibetan representatives. It also strengthens the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 by enhancing our public diplomacy efforts to counter PRC disinformation about Tibet.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), who is the ranking member of the House Rules Committee and the author of H.R. 533.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for his remarks. There has been no more determined or erstwhile supporter of the Tibetan people than Representative McGovern. I thank him for his longstanding efforts on their behalf which is really our behalf, as well, as a country.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, for too long, the Tibetan people have suffered as Beijing systematically works to erase their religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity. The forced assimilation through centralized Chinese boarding schools and tearing children away from their families are beyond the pale, and its refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama since 2010 only highlights Beijing's blatant disregard for resolving the Tibetan question.

This is an important and timely measure, and I thank Senator Merkley, Representative McGovern, Chairman McCaul, and all those individuals involved in getting this bill to the finish line. I also want to extend my gratitude to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for her unwavering support of this bill and principled conviction to hold the PRC accountable for its human rights violations.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join with all of us in supporting this important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina, the gentlewoman from California, and the gentleman from New Jersey, who just spoke, not just for their support for this bill but for their leadership on human rights in general.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 533, the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act.

I thank my co-lead, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman McCaul, and Ranking Member Meeks for their work to bring this bill to the floor today. This is important.

It has been more than 60 years since the People's Republic of China forced His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama into exile and took control of Tibet against the will of its people.

The dispute between the Chinese and the Tibetans over Tibet's status and governance has persisted ever since, in spite of the willingness of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people to resolve Tibet's status and governance through dialogue.

With dialogue blocked, the PRC has continued its unceasing efforts to erode Tibetan history, Tibetan language, Tibetan culture, and Tibetan religion.

A few years ago, I was on a delegation with Speaker Pelosi. We went to Tibet and saw firsthand the PRC's repression against the people of Tibet, essentially trying to erase the Tibetans as a people.

This bill that we are discussing here today seeks to end that by explicitly recognizing that the Tibetan people are a people with a distinct religious, cultural, and historical identity; by reminding all concerned that peoples, and not least the Tibetan people, have a right to self-determination under international human rights law; and by requiring the U.S. Government to actively counter the PRC's propaganda about Tibet, like the false claim that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times, a position that the United States has never accepted. There is no basis for such a claim.

Through these measures, we hope to kick-start dialogue between Tibet and China, in keeping with longstanding U.S. policy.

Madam Speaker, any one of us reading the news these days knows that the

world is awash in conflict. At the heart of most, if not all of those conflicts, lies the systematic denial or violation of a people's human rights.

The decades-old dispute between Tibet and China started as an armed conflict of invasion, resistance, and insurgency. In the long run, the only guarantee against the resumption of large-scale violence is for the PRC to fully respect the human rights and dignity of the Tibetan people.

A vote for this bill is a vote to recognize the rights of the Tibetan people and a vote to insist on resolving the dispute between Tibet and the People's Republic of China peacefully, in accordance with international law, through dialogue, and without preconditions.

There is still an opportunity to do this, but time is running out. Again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill because it is about standing up for human rights. It is about standing up for the Tibetan people, a people who have been repressed for far too long.

Madam Speaker, I thank all my colleagues for their support.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 533) to amend the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 to modify certain provisions of that Act, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 533, Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the exile of the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan people have suffered 70 years of Chinese Communist Party oppression and control. From forced labor, forced sterilization, arbitrary detention, the banning of Tibetan education, religious practices, and language, the CCP will not stop until it has erased Tibetan culture.

Last year, the CCP released a white paper on its policies in Tibet. In that document, the party doubles down on its oppression and crackdown on the religious and economic freedom of Tibetans.

That is why I am a proud cosponsor of this bipartisan bill, introduced by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), and the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee (Mr. McCaul).

The CCP has refused to speak with the Tibetan Central Authorities since 2010, essentially putting the future of Tibet, and the safety of millions of Tibetans, at suspended risk.

This bill helps Tibetans in two main ways:

First, it pushes back against CCP propaganda about the history of Tibet. It is simply not true that Tibet has been, as the CCP claims, a ``part of China since ancient times.'' U.S. policy has never accepted that false claim.

For that reason, this legislation clarifies U.S. policy, highlights the unique language, religion, and culture of the Tibetan people, and directs U.S. diplomats to push back against CCP propaganda.

Second, this bill ensures that Tibetans have a say in their own future. It stresses the need for a direct dialogue between the CCP and the democratically elected leaders of Tibet, and that any resolution must be peaceful and include the voice of the Tibetan people.

Tibetans are democracy-loving people who wish to freely practice their religion and have their distinct identity acknowledged and respected.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to play a small part in supporting this dream for the Tibetan people. I urge all my colleagues to help push back against the Chinese Communist Party's crackdown against the Tibetan people by voting in favor of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 533, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

Madam Speaker, I again thank Mr. McGovern, Chairman McCaul, and Ranking Member Meeks for introducing this legislation. I urge the passage of H.R. 533, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of final passage of the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, legislation that I was proud to have authored.

This House took the lead in considering this bill, passed it with an overwhelming majority last February, and sent it to the Senate. The Senate, in its wisdom, changed only one paragraph. So the bill has come back to this Chamber for final passage.

I thank my incredible co-lead, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman McCaul, and Ranking Member Meeks for bringing this bill to the floor and all of their incredible advocacy on behalf of the Tibetan community. I welcome the opportunity to shine a light on this legislation, once more, as we send it on its way to the President's desk.

It has been more than 60 years since the People's Republic of China forced the 14th Dalai Lama into exile and took control of Tibet against the will of the people.

The dispute between the Chinese and the Tibetans over governance of Tibet has persisted ever since, even though the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people have repeatedly expressed their willingness to engage in dialogue.

Meanwhile, the PRC has done everything it can to erode Tibetan history, language, culture, and religion, in other words, to erase the Tibetans as a people.

This bill seeks to end that in the following ways: one, by explicitly recognizing that the Tibetan people are a people with a distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity; two, by reminding everyone concerned that the Tibetan people have a right to self-determination under international human rights law; and three, by requiring the U.S. Government to actively counter the PRC's propaganda about Tibet, like the false claim that Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times, a position that the United States has never accepted.

With this bill, we hope to restart dialogue between Tibet and China in keeping with longstanding U.S. policy.

Mr. Speaker, the world is awash in conflict. At the heart of many conflicts lies the systematic denial of a people's human rights.

The decades-old dispute between Tibet and China started as an armed conflict of invasion, resistance, and insurgency. In the long run, the only guarantee against the resumption of violence is for the People's Republic of China to fully respect the human rights and dignity of the Tibetan people.

A vote for this bill is a vote to recognize the rights of the Tibetan people, and it is a vote to insist on resolving the dispute between Tibet and the People's Republic of China peacefully, in accordance with international law, through dialogue, and without preconditions.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to please join me and the distinguished chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul, in sending these important messages in solidarity with the Tibetan people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding me the time.