U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke about worldwide threats to religious freedom at the International Republican Institute (IRI) John S. McCain Freedom Award Celebration. Senator Rubio presented this year’s award to Bishop Rolando Álvarez, a prominent victim of the...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced 26 additions to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. While this is welcomed news, the Biden Administration has yet to include exporters who are tainting the United States’ supply chain...
Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death among children in our nation. Unfortunately, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is the leading form of pediatric brain cancer deaths. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jack Reed (D-RI) led a...
Petro’s Backfiring Policies Imperil Two Decades of Colombian Progress U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) May 14, 2024 Medium [As Colombian President Gustavo Petro] reneges on his campaign promises and prepares to rewrite the Colombian constitution in his favor, his...
Políticas del presidente Gustavo Petro ponen en peligro dos décadas de progreso en Colombia 16 de mayo del 2024 El Tiempo El 6 de mayo el grupo terrorista ELN, una vez más, anunció que retomaba los secuestros porque el gobierno colombiano no cedió a sus demandas...
U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-FL) delivered closing remarks at a hearing on foreign threats to the 2024 elections. “I just know that this is going to get far more complex, and I predict it won't just be about elections, it...
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), welcomed the passage of their bipartisan Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019 (S.2539). The legislation, included in the fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill, seeks to update and strengthen the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 to address emerging human rights, religious freedom, and other challenges faced by the Tibetan people. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives (H.R. 4331).
Rubio is Co-Chair of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations’ Subcommittee that oversees human rights, and is a member of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.
“Passage of the Tibetan Policy and Support Act sends an important message that the United States stands with the Tibetan people and against any effort by the Chinese Communist Party to interfere with the religious process of identifying Tibetan Buddhist leaders, such as the Dalai Lama,” Rubio said. “We must continue to shine a light on the grave assaults against the Tibetan people’s religion, culture, and language by the Chinese Communist government, both inside Tibet and outside the PRC. I applaud the passage of this bipartisan legislation and urge the State Department to use the tools it provides to address escalating human rights abuses in Tibet.”
“Bipartisan passage of the Tibet Policy and Support Act sends a strong message to Chinese officials that the U.S. will not stay silent in the face of inference in the Tibetan Buddhist practices, including the deeply spiritual process of selecting the next Dalai Lama. Such actions will be met with consequences, such as the possibility of targeted Global Magnitsky sanctions,” Cardin said. “Congress stands united in its support for the human rights, religious freedom and genuine autonomy of the Tibetan people.”
“We have come together with one voice by passing the Tibetan Policy and Support Act,” Risch said. “I have long supported the rights and freedoms of the people of Tibet. I am particularly proud that this legislation reaffirms U.S. efforts to ensure that the next Dalai Lama is appointed solely by the Tibetan Buddhist faith community without interference from the Chinese Communist Party.”
“I’m very pleased that our bill to update the Tibet Policy Act will soon become law,” Feinstein said. “It addresses the worsening human rights conditions and limitations on religious freedom in Tibet as well as China’s efforts to intrude on matters best left to the Tibetan people. I thank Senator Rubio for his partnership on this bill and hope it brings about positive change for the Tibetan people.”
Related:
September 24, 2019: Rubio, Cardin Lead Bill in Support of Tibet