Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Washington State who, from day one, has been a champion for human rights in our country and throughout the world. I was proud to travel with her to visit with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, where this issue has been on the forefront for many years and currently.

I thank Mr. Hultgren for his leadership and for being part of this legislation, and also Chris Smith and Frank Wolf before him. We have been working on this for a long time.

On a previous trip, we visited Tibet, and we called Mr. McGovern the spiritual leader of our trip because everywhere he went in Tibet, and then also in the rest of China, he brought up this issue of reciprocity. It has a human rights aspect to it, but it also is a practical matter that if we want to improve communication and relationships and the rest, if the Tibetan--it is the Chinese Government, but in the form of the Tibetan--local government there wants more people to go to school and visit Tibet and all, as a practical matter, it would be very important for us to have a diplomatic presence in Lhasa.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act as a strong, bipartisan bill. We are very proud of that. It takes an important step forward to advance the future of freedom, dignity, and prosperity for the Tibetan people.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate and acknowledge the leadership of Congressman Jim McGovern, as I mentioned, who is co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Ten years ago, he became the chair of that commission. He was working on this issue even before then.

His leadership honors the legacy of Tom Lantos, our colleague, and the responsibility of Congress to defend human rights and dignity around the world. That has always been not only bipartisan, but bicameral on this issue.

This bill holds China officials accountable for their repressive campaign to cut off Tibet from America and the world. It promotes free, unfettered travel for American diplomats, journalists, and tourists to Tibet, and fosters strong bonds between our peoples. And it sends a clear signal that China's meddling in Tibet's affairs is unacceptable and cannot continue.

For six decades, the Tibetan people have stood defiant in the face of oppression and brutality from an authoritarian China. The people of Tibet have courageously spoken out for their freedom, and the rest of the world has been stirred to action by their clarion call for justice and dignity. All freedom-loving people must continue to speak out until every Tibetan can learn, worship, and live free from persecution and abuse.

I might add, sadly, that we would hope that there would be respect for the dignity and the faith of the Uighurs in China as well.

In November 2015, I led a congressional delegation--as I mentioned, the first congressional delegation in a long time to enter Tibet--with Congressman McGovern in Jokhang Temple, Potala Palace, and Sera Monastery, and witnessed the strength of the Tibetan people and the beauty of their culture.

Last year, again, I led another bipartisan delegation to Nepal and India, where we were blessed to be received by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Congresswoman Jayapal was part of that. We had the opportunity to see the aspirations of the Tibetan people firsthand, now living in India, especially in the eyes of the Tibetan schoolchildren in Dharamshala.

These people are there, separated from their parents for the most part, because they are not allowed to practice their faith, speak their language, or enjoy their culture in Tibet because that is suppressed.

Today, those aspirations remain in peril as China continues to silence the voices crying out for freedom in Tibet and across the region. Every day, Tibetans, Uighurs--again, the Uighurs are the Muslims in the western areas of China--and the people of Hong Kong and all throughout China are subjected to the threat of oppression and persecution simply for wishing to practice their faith and pursue a more democratic future.

Mr. Speaker, if we don't speak out for human rights in China because of our commercial relationship with them, we lose all moral authority to speak out for human rights anyplace in the world. As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to stand with the Tibetan people as they fight to be free to practice their faith traditions, speak their language, and celebrate their cultures. This bill takes a strong step toward that mission, and I urge my colleagues to join in a strong bipartisan ``yes'' on this vote.

Again, I want to commend my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have for a very long time been such leaders on the issues of human rights throughout the world, including in China, and for whom this particular bill has emerged as one manifestation of where we can make a reasonable, measured difference in our relationship.

So I thank Mr. Hultgren and Mr. McGovern for their leadership in bringing this forth. I thank the Judiciary Committee and my colleague who was so important on our trip. So it is really a joy to see the gentleman on the floor leading this debate. I thank the gentleman for bringing his eloquence, his compassion, his concern, and his leadership to this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

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