Spectator NZ

Source: United States Senator for South Dakota John Thune

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.); Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, today urged U.S. Department of Education (ED) Secretary Miguel Cardona to abandon the agency’s costly student loan forgiveness efforts and instead focus on preparing borrowers and loan servicers to resume student loan repayments. The senators’ letter also requests information regarding how much staff time and taxpayer dollars have gone toward setting up and carrying out the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness agenda.
“We write to highlight the need for the ED to begin to prepare borrowers and federal student loan servicers for a return to federal student loan repayment without delay,” wrote the senators. “The date to restart the repayment of federal student loans approaches in late August based on the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act (P.L. 118-5). To ensure ED has adequate resources available to do this, we request that you abandon all loan forgiveness activities that were not explicitly directed by Congress, which are an impediment to the smooth resumption of repayment.”
Full letter below:
Dear Secretary Cardona:

We write to highlight the need for the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to begin to prepare borrowers and federal student loan servicers for a return to federal student loan repayment without delay. The date to restart the repayment of federal student loans approaches in late August based on the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act (P.L. 118-5). To ensure ED has adequate resources available to do this, we request that you abandon all loan forgiveness activities that were not explicitly directed by Congress, which are an impediment to the smooth resumption of repayment.

As you know, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136) suspended the repayment of federal student loans held by ED through September 30, 2020, and halted the accrual of interest on these loans. Since the suspension authorized by Congress, ED has unilaterally extended the suspension eight times, including six times under the Biden administration. The initial pause and eight extensions will have cost taxpayers approximately $195 billion through August.

Over the course of the repayment pause, the Biden administration has pursued multiple avenues to forgive balances on federal student loans outright and proposed changes that would significantly reduce the amount of federal student loans that borrowers would be required to repay with no Congressional authorization.

Last August, President Biden directed an executive action at ED that would, if implemented, result in borrowers having a significant portion of their federal student loan balances wiped clean, including up to a staggering $20,000 for qualifying borrowers who received Pell Grants. To carry out the loan forgiveness portion of the executive action, ED stood up an online portal for qualifying borrowers to apply for their loan forgiveness. It is unclear how much ED spent setting up this portal, which was used to process millions of applications, and how many other resources ED devoted to its unauthorized loan forgiveness efforts that have consequently been unavailable to fund ED’s core responsibilities.

Also in response to the August 2022 executive action, ED proposed a rule that would establish a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, which would result in some future borrowers only being required to repay approximately half of their student loan balances, on average. ED also pursued a range of other executive initiatives, such as the “fresh start” initiative, an IDR waiver, and a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver with an online application. It is unclear how much funding, staff time, and other resources has been devoted to all of these other unauthorized programs.

On March 9, 2023, President Biden released his fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request.  Embedded within this request, ED argued that the FY 2023 appropriation for the Student Aid Administration account poses “significant risks” to ending the federal student loan repayment suspension and resuming repayment. However, it’s hard to have any sympathy for this alleged cash crunch given that ED has undoubtedly spent an immense amount of staff time and taxpayer dollars standing up various, questionably legal initiatives to forgive or reduce student loan balances.

Student loan servicers contracted to service ED’s loan portfolio have been forced to cut services for borrowers, including reduced call center hours, due to reduced payments from ED.  Furthermore, Federal Student Aid has not yet allowed student loan servicers to reach out to borrowers in order to prepare them to restart repayment. And while these roadblocks to resuming repayment exist, it must not go unnoticed that the administration’s student loan forgiveness order, which sits before the U.S. Supreme Court, is an affront to the millions of Americans that do not have student loans because they already paid them off, worked their way through school to reduce or eliminate the need to take out student loans, or never went to college in the first place. 

Rather than using staff time and taxpayer dollars on these misguided, unfair, and fiscally irresponsible loan forgiveness proposals, which would cost taxpayers more than $500 billion, ED should be directing these resources toward preparing borrowers and loan servicers to resume student loan repayment. This would help avoid the “unnecessary harm to borrowers” that you are warning about. 

Please respond to the following, on a question-by-question basis, no later than June 21, 2023:

Please provide all records relating to the estimated and actual costs for planning, developing, and administering each of the programs listed below, as well as all records relating to the sources of funds used.

The student loan forgiveness plan announced on August 24, 2022;
The IDR proposed rule;
The “Fresh Start” initiative;
The IDR one-time adjustment waiver; and
The Limited PSLF waiver and application.

Please provide copies of all contracts relating to the development and administration of each of the programs listed in question 1, parts a-e.

Please provide the number of full and part-time employees assigned to work on each of the programs listed in question 1, parts a-e.  Please specify whether any of the employees were new hires brought on to fulfill responsibilities associated with any of these programs.

Please provide copies of all change orders sent by Federal Student Aid to student loan servicers regarding the late August 2023 return to repayment and the dates when the materials were sent.

Sincerely,

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

What the US should do with its A-10 Thunderbolt
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
June 7, 2023
Defense News

The U.S. government created the A-10 in the 1970s to provide close air support to American ground troops…. [I]n the decades since, it has served the military faithfully [in the Gulf War and the War on Terror]….
 
But major military operations in the Middle East have ceased. Today, our greatest adversary is Communist China, whose tanks and emplacements are much more advanced than those used by the Soviets or Islamic terrorists.
 
To prepare to counter Beijing in a future conflict, we must make the best possible use of our limited hangar space and procurement dollars. To do that, we must retire the A-10, as senior military leaders have called for….
 
However, the A-10 can still do a lot of good if transferred to allies and partners in need of it. The most obvious example is Ukraine, which is preparing to mount a counteroffensive against Soviet-era tanks and entrenched Russian positions.
 
At the recent G7 summit, President Biden stated he supports training Ukrainian forces to operate F-16 Fighting Falcons…. But there is good reason to wonder if an air-to-air fighter makes the most sense. Ukraine’s defense intelligence chief, for one, believes Ukraine would fare better with A-10s….
 
Beyond Ukraine, potential beneficiaries of an A-10 transfer program include African countries in the Sahel fighting ISIS and Boko Haram, or even Latin American nations combatting paramilitary rebels and drug cartels in the jungle….
 
Simply put, phasing out the A-10 by transferring it to allies and partners is the smart thing to do. Not only would it help America adapt to the challenges of the 21st century, it would also help our friends confront their own challenges without deep U.S. intervention….

Read the rest here.

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nev.01) today reintroduced the bicameral Disability Access to Transportation Act (DATA), legislation that would address numerous persistent challenges faced by individuals with disabilities when they use transportation services. It would establish a one-stop pilot program to help paratransit riders avoid excessive wait times between multiple trips, streamline the process for submitting accessibility complaints, and assist local communities with identifying gaps in transportation accessibility.

“Access to safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options is a critical tool for promoting economic opportunity for all communities and it is especially important for individuals with disabilities,” said Sen. Menendez. “I’m proud to be leading this bicameral legislation with Rep. Titus because it is critical we invest in creating transportation systems that are more accessible and reliable, and can provide all individuals with more flexibility and mobility when commuting to work, school, or any destination.”

“True community living is not possible without the ability to easily move from one location to another,” said Rep. Titus. “I’m proud to join Senator Menendez in this bicameral effort to build upon the Americans with Disabilities Act so we can eliminate all lingering barriers to adequate and accessible transportation.”

The Disability Access to Transportation Act includes:

1. Findings that highlight the ongoing need to improve access to transportation systems for those with disabilities;
2. The creation of a new one-stop paratransit pilot program authorized at $75 million annually through FY26, which will allow for a brief stop on a multi-legged paratransit trip to prevent long wait times between having to book individual trip segments. This will allow people with disabilities to perform activities like stopping at a bank or pharmacy or dropping children off at daycare without needing to book two separate trips that could each take up to 90 minutes;
3. Requires the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board to finalize minimum standards for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way, and requires the Secretary of Transportation to undertake a rulemaking to implement those standards;
4. A provision to streamline the accessibility complaint reporting process at FTA; and
5. The creation of an accessibility data pilot program to improve data collection and identify gaps in services to aid in transportation planning.

The bill has been endorsed by the United Spinal Association, American Council of the Blind, Family Voices, Amputee Coalition, The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, Autistic People of Color Fund, Access Ready, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, Cure SMA, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and American Foundation for the Blind.

“Without wheelchair-accessible transportation, true community living is impossible for far too many of our members,” said Vincenzo Piscopo, President and CEO of United Spinal Association. “This bill could be the game changer we need. It has the potential to increase the availability of accessible transportation for millions of people with mobility disabilities.”

Sen. Menendez has long advocated to create a more accessible, affordable, and equitable transit system throughout New Jersey. Earlier this year, the Senator announced more than $25 million of federal transportation funding for eleven projects across the state. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program that is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that passed Congress and was signed into law in 2021. Millions of dollars from the IIJA have already flowed to the state. In January of this year, Sen. Menendez joined President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to announce the award of $292 million for the Gateway project. Around the same time, the Senator also announced more than $13 million for projects at the Atlantic City International Airport and for base improvements for the 177th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard. In April, Sen. Menendez announced $834 million to support New Jersey’s public transit agencies. Last year in January, he announced $229 million to repair bridges across the state, including the Route 3 bridge over the Hackensack River. In December of 2021, Sen. Menendez announced $54 million to support New Jersey’s airports. Ultimately, New Jersey stands to receive billions of dollars from the IIJA to help the state repair roads and highways, expand mass transit, and build the Gateway Project.

Find a copy of the bill text HERE.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nev.01) today reintroduced the bicameral Disability Access to Transportation Act (DATA), legislation that would address numerous persistent challenges faced by individuals with disabilities when they use transportation services. It would establish a one-stop pilot program to help paratransit riders avoid excessive wait times between multiple trips, streamline the process for submitting accessibility complaints, and assist local communities with identifying gaps in transportation accessibility.

“Access to safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options is a critical tool for promoting economic opportunity for all communities and it is especially important for individuals with disabilities,” said Sen. Menendez. “I’m proud to be leading this bicameral legislation with Rep. Titus because it is critical we invest in creating transportation systems that are more accessible and reliable, and can provide all individuals with more flexibility and mobility when commuting to work, school, or any destination.”

“True community living is not possible without the ability to easily move from one location to another,” said Rep. Titus. “I’m proud to join Senator Menendez in this bicameral effort to build upon the Americans with Disabilities Act so we can eliminate all lingering barriers to adequate and accessible transportation.”

The Disability Access to Transportation Act includes:

1. Findings that highlight the ongoing need to improve access to transportation systems for those with disabilities;
2. The creation of a new one-stop paratransit pilot program authorized at $75 million annually through FY26, which will allow for a brief stop on a multi-legged paratransit trip to prevent long wait times between having to book individual trip segments. This will allow people with disabilities to perform activities like stopping at a bank or pharmacy or dropping children off at daycare without needing to book two separate trips that could each take up to 90 minutes;
3. Requires the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board to finalize minimum standards for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way, and requires the Secretary of Transportation to undertake a rulemaking to implement those standards;
4. A provision to streamline the accessibility complaint reporting process at FTA; and
5. The creation of an accessibility data pilot program to improve data collection and identify gaps in services to aid in transportation planning.

The bill has been endorsed by the United Spinal Association, American Council of the Blind, Family Voices, Amputee Coalition, The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, Autistic People of Color Fund, Access Ready, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, Cure SMA, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and American Foundation for the Blind.

“Without wheelchair-accessible transportation, true community living is impossible for far too many of our members,” said Vincenzo Piscopo, President and CEO of United Spinal Association. “This bill could be the game changer we need. It has the potential to increase the availability of accessible transportation for millions of people with mobility disabilities.”

Sen. Menendez has long advocated to create a more accessible, affordable, and equitable transit system throughout New Jersey. Earlier this year, the Senator announced more than $25 million of federal transportation funding for eleven projects across the state. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program that is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that passed Congress and was signed into law in 2021. Millions of dollars from the IIJA have already flowed to the state. In January of this year, Sen. Menendez joined President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to announce the award of $292 million for the Gateway project. Around the same time, the Senator also announced more than $13 million for projects at the Atlantic City International Airport and for base improvements for the 177th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard. In April, Sen. Menendez announced $834 million to support New Jersey’s public transit agencies. Last year in January, he announced $229 million to repair bridges across the state, including the Route 3 bridge over the Hackensack River. In December of 2021, Sen. Menendez announced $54 million to support New Jersey’s airports. Ultimately, New Jersey stands to receive billions of dollars from the IIJA to help the state repair roads and highways, expand mass transit, and build the Gateway Project.

Find a copy of the bill text HERE.

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Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353
June 6, 2023

Cotton, Colleagues: Inspector General Should Investigate Colin Kahl

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and nine of his colleagues sent a letter to the Department of Defense Inspector General referring Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl for investigation. The letter describes how Under Secretary Kahl, after the Chinese surveillance balloon was publicly revealed, provided members of the media classified information about previous Chinese surveillance balloons.

Co-signers of the letterinclude Senators Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), andRoger Wicker (R-Mississippi).

In part, the senators wrote:

“This is not the first time that Under Secretary Kahl has mishandled classified information. Worse, Under Secretary Kahl’s leak, like his previous leaks, appears to have been made for partisan political purposes. Given Under Secretary Kahl’s repeated and blatant mishandling of classified information for political purposes, we urge you to investigate this conduct.”

Text of the letter may be found here and below.

June 6, 2023

The Honorable Robert Storch
United States Department of Defense
Office of the Inspector General
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350

Dear Inspector General Storch:

We write regarding the intentional leak of classified national defense information by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl. It has come to our attention that, soon after the Chinese surveillance balloon was publicly revealed earlier this year, Under Secretary Kahl provided reporters with classified information regarding prior Chinese surveillance balloons. The selective leak falsely portrayed prior incursions as similar incidents and suggested that the previous administration was similarly ineffective in responding to known surveillance threats. In fact, it was later revealed that the prior incursions were not discovered at the time and leaders of the previous administration did not have an opportunity to respond to the threat. Nonetheless, Under Secretary Kahl’s leak appears intended to distract from the Biden administration’s own conduct by attacking political opponents. To date, we have received no indication that the materials leaked by Under Secretary Kahl were first declassified through the proper channels.

Intentionally leaking classified information is a violation of U.S. law, as well as a violation of the Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement (SF-312) that Kahl signed. That agreement expressly contemplates the termination of a security clearance as a consequence of mishandling sensitive materials. Further, federal law provides serious penalties for intentionally mishandling classified information. For example, 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) provides for up to ten years in prison for willful unauthorized disclosure. Finally, other federal laws such as the Hatch Act also prohibit the use of one’s official position in the executive branch for partisan political purposes.

This is not the first time that Under Secretary Kahl has mishandled classified information. Worse, Under Secretary Kahl’s leak, like his previous leaks, appears to have been made for partisan political purposes. Given Under Secretary Kahl’s repeated and blatant mishandling of classified information for political purposes, we urge you to investigate this conduct.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

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Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

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Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Due to labor shortages, veterans in Florida, Alabama, and across the country are struggling to find at-home healthcare providers. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has chosen to exclude nurse registries in the Community Care Network (CCN), which would qualify these caregivers for reimbursement. The VA’s arbitrary decision to exclude nurse registries only exacerbates the existing labor shortage in this critical field. 

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced the Veterans Homecare Choice Act to reinstate veterans’ access to home care professionals operating as independent contractors by making any nurse registry eligible for the CCN. This would allow veterans in need of home health care to have more options for providers for their at-home nursing, health aide, or companion services needs.

• “Bureaucracy should never keep the men and women who served our nation from receiving the care they deserve. I am proud to introduce the Veterans Homecare Choice Act, which would expand access to care and reduce the burden of bureaucratic red tape that our nation’s heroes currently face.” – Senator Rubio

• “When our country’s heroes need medical care in their own homes, they should be able to decide what kind of service is best for them. This bill fixes an obvious error that’s forcing veterans into one-size-fits-all homecare programs instead of giving them the options they deserve. Having care in the home is an important and personal decision. Veterans deserve the freedom to choose a homecare provider they trust.”  – Senator Tuberville 

Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

A nurse registry is a business model where a coordinator connects homecare providers operating on a 1099 status with clients in need of homecare as opposed to full-time employees of a business. Under the Veterans Choice Program, veterans are able to receive reimbursements for the costs of home care.

Specifically, this bill:

Want more information?

February, 2023: Rubio Releases Military And Veterans Agenda For The 118th Congress

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

The genomic data of American citizens has been aggressively sought after by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through both legal and illegal means. The U.S. must advance its security in order to avoid risking any data being vulnerable to international influence. 

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and John Cornyn (R-TX) reintroduced the Genomics Expenditures and National Security Enhancement (GENE) Act to counter the growing threat caused by the CCP.

• “For too long, the People’s Republic of China has collected Americans’ healthcare data without anywhere near sufficient scrutiny. This legislation would confront this growing national security threat and ensure private genetic information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.” – Senator Cornyn

Specifically, this bill:

• Increases congressional oversight by requiring the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to include the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in its briefings. 

• Directs CFIUS to rewrite its regulations to require mandatory filing for any deal that involves a company working with genetic information. 

• Requires that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) be consulted on any deal that involves a genetic data transaction, to increase cross-agency awareness of transactions of concern.

Want more information?

Source: United States Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen

June 06, 2023

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the Chair and Ranking Member of the East Asia, The Pacific, & International Cybersecurity Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), introduced a resolution to recognize the 34^th anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square Massacre, during which thousands of peaceful protesters were injured and killed at the direction of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership. The resolution also condemns the Chinese government’s ongoing and increasing repression of human rights and civic freedoms in mainland China as well as in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang.

“As the Government of China censors its own history and continues to smother dissent, the world must keep alive the memory of those brave souls at Tiananmen Square who boldly aspired to more freedom and self-determination in China. We must honor their sacrifice and all those who struggle for justice by ensuring America remains a strong force for human rights and democracy around the world,” said Chair Van Hollen.

“Thirty-four years after the massacre in Tiananmen Square, the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses continue today,” said Ranking Member Romney. “The CCP commits genocide against the Uyghur people; crushes promised freedoms in Hong Kong; censors print, broadcast, and social media; and imprisons and executes dissidents. With this resolution, we remember the brave victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and condemn the CCP’s continued and intensifying crackdown on human rights and basic freedoms in China and Hong Kong.”

The full text of the resolution can be found at this link and below.

RESOLUTION

Remembering the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and condemning the continued and intensifying crackdown on human rights and basic freedoms within the People’s Republic of China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, by the Chinese Communist Party, and for other purposes.

Whereas, on April 15, 1989, peaceful demonstrators gathered in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing to mourn the death of former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Hu Yaobang, who was compelled to resign in 1987 for supporting political reforms within the CCP;

Whereas, throughout April and May 1989, peaceful demonstrations continued in Tiananmen Square and in an estimated 400 cities across the People’s Republic of China;

Whereas, by May 17, 1989, an estimated 1,000,000 Chinese citizens from all walks of life, including students, government employees, journalists, workers, police officers, and members of the armed forces, gathered peacefully in Tiananmen Square to call for democratic reforms;

Whereas the peaceful demonstrators of 1989 called upon the Government of the People’s Republic of China to eliminate corruption, accelerate economic and political reform, and protect human rights, particularly the freedoms of expression and assembly;

Whereas, on May 20, 1989, the Government of the People’s Republic of China declared martial law;

Whereas, during the late afternoon and early evening hours of June 3, 1989, the People’s Republic of China leadership sent armed People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops and tanks into Beijing and surrounding areas;

Whereas, on the night of June 3, and continuing into the morning of June 4, 1989, PLA soldiers, at the direction of CCP leadership, fired indiscriminately into crowds of peaceful protesters, killing and injuring thousands of demonstrators and other unarmed civilians;

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China continues to censor any mention of the crackdown centered on Tiananmen Square, prevents the victims from being publicly mourned and remembered, and harasses, detains, and arrests those who call for a full, public, and independent accounting of the wounded, dead, and those imprisoned for participating in the spring 1989 demonstrations;

Whereas the sovereignty of Hong Kong transferred from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China in 1997 under the terms of the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong (hereafter the ‘‘Joint Declaration’’), which guaranteed the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will ‘‘enjoy a high degree of autonomy,’’ and committed the PRC to keep the ‘‘social and economic systems in Hong Kong’’ unchanged through 2047;

Whereas the Joint Declaration states that ‘‘Rights and freedoms, including those of the person, of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of travel, of movement, of correspondence, of strike, of choice of occupation, of academic research and of religious belief will be ensured by law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’’ and that those rights are reiterated in Chapter III of the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the People’s Republic of China;

Whereas the people of Hong Kong have held an annual Tiananmen Square vigil since 1990, and has been the only such mass gathering on Chinese territory because commemorations are banned in mainland China;

Whereas, on June 4, 2020, thousands of people in Hong Kong defied a ban by the Hong Kong Police Force and gathered at the city’s annual June 4 vigil to memorialize the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre;

Whereas, on June 30, 2020, China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee flagrantly undermined the high degree of autonomy promised to Hong Kong in the Joint Declaration and Basic Law by passing and imposing upon Hong Kong the oppressive and intentionally vague Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR (‘‘national security law’’);

Whereas the central Government of the People’s Republic of China and the HKSAR Government have since used the national security law to suppress democratic voices in Hong Kong, including by barring candidates from standing for election and by arresting prodemocracy activists and opposition leaders;

Whereas, on March 11, 2021, China’s National People’s Congress adopted the ‘‘Decision of the National People’s Congress on Improving the Electoral System of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’’, thereby further restricting Hong Kong’s electoral freedom and democratic

representation;

Whereas, on May 27, 2021, the Hong Kong Police Force officially banned the June 4 vigil for the second consecutive year, citing a ban on large gatherings in light of the coronavirus pandemic;

Whereas this ban has continued through 2022 and through 2023, despite the pandemic restrictions being largely removed in Hong Kong;

Whereas, on May 27, 2021, the Hong Kong Legislative Council passed legislation amending local election laws to bring them in line with the China’s National People’s Congress March 11 ‘‘Decision of the National People’s Congress on Improving the Electoral System of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’’;

Whereas, on March 4, 2023, the HKSAR West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court convicted three standing committee members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China—Chow Hang-tung, Tang Ngok-kwan, and Tsui Hon-kwong—under the National Security Law, and the Alliance was an organizer of the annual Tiananmen vigil;

Whereas June 4, 2023, marks the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre;

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang; and

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China continues to violate the human rights of prodemocracy activists, members of ethnic groups, including individuals in the Tibetan regions, religious believers, human rights lawyers, citizen journalists, and labor union leaders, among many others seeking to express their political or religious views or ethnic identity in a peaceful manner:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

1. expresses its deepest respect for and solidarity with the families and friends of those killed, tortured, and imprisoned for participating in the prodemocracy demonstrations during the spring of 1989, and with those who have continued to suffer for their fight to publicly mourn the Tiananmen Square massacre victims;

2. reaffirms its support for those who continue to work for political reform, rule of law, and protections for human rights in China;

3. condemns the Government of the People’s Republic of China for its continued human rights abuses, including suppressing peaceful political dissent and ethnic and religious minorities;

4. calls on the Government of the People’s Republic of China to—

1. cease censoring information and discussion about the Tiananmen Square massacre;
2. invite and cooperate with a full and independent investigation into the Tiananmen Square massacre by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
3. uphold its international legal obligations to Hong Kong under the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong (‘‘Joint Declaration’’) and cease undermining Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy; and
4. allow those participants in the Tiananmen demonstrations who fled overseas or reside outside of China after being ‘‘blacklisted’’ for their peaceful protest activity to return to China without risk of retribution;

5. calls on the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the relevant authorities in the Government of the People’s Republic of China to—

1. respect and uphold the personal rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and the independence of Hong Kong’s legal system;
2. restore independent democratic representation to the people of Hong Kong in line with the ‘‘One Country, Two Systems’’ arrangement set forth in the Joint Declaration and its implementing document, the Basic Law; and
3. allow those living in exile for engaging in prodemocracy activities to return to Hong Kong without fear of detention or other repercussions;

6. calls on the United States Government and members of Congress to mark the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests, including through meetings with participants of the Tiananmen Square protests who live outside of China and the families and friends of the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre based outside China; and

7. supports ongoing peaceful movements for human rights in China and of the people in Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang.

Source: United States Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen

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