Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet bill, introduced by my colleague Jim McGovern, who has been working on this issue for such a long time as our ranking member on the Rules Committee and the co-chair of the Lantos Human Rights Commission. I would like to thank him for his hard work and dedication to this issue and on this bill.

The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act is about fairness, human rights, and careful U.S. diplomacy at its core. For too long, China has restricted access to Tibet, preventing U.S. diplomats and journalists from observing human rights abuses in Tibet and preventing Tibetan Americans from visiting their home country. This bill seeks to reset that table.

H.R. 1872 is premised on the idea that reciprocity forms the basis of diplomatic law and the practice of mutual exchanges between countries. This bill simply requires that, if Chinese officials, journalists, and other citizens are able to travel freely in the United States, it is only fair that their American counterparts are also able to do the same; and if Americans are not granted the same access to Tibet that the Chinese enjoy in the United States, then there should be consequences.

This is more than reasonable and long overdue. Tibet is so difficult to visit that a Washington Post journalist said in 2016, Tibet ``is harder to visit as a journalist than North Korea.''

Mr. Speaker, I had the great honor last year of traveling with our minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, and Congressman McGovern to Dharamsala last year to visit with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. It was a deeply, deeply moving meeting with him, with the Tibetan Government in exile, and the 10,000-plus people who came to a public celebration event while we were there.

The world knows that His Holiness is a man of peace and tremendous integrity. He has laid out a 5-year roadmap for negotiations with China, and he is willing to work with China to find a way forward. For any peace plan to get a footing, we have to work closely with our global partners to push this issue at this time because, if His Holiness should die, and he will eventually do so, a period of greater instability is likely to ensure making the human rights issues and the possible solutions still more intractable. The timing of U.S. actions here is extremely important.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my colleague, the sponsor of this bill, and a great fighter for human rights.

Mr. Speaker, the actions called for in this bill are measured and calibrated, measured in that they follow the line of traditional diplomacy of taking careful steps without the dangers of over- escalation, but calibrated to achieve a real opening, to wisely use U.S. power to open up an opportunity for the two sides to take their next steps.

There are many Tibetan Americans throughout the United States whose family members still reside within Tibet, and they are watching this Chamber closely for signs that the United States is willing to help, willing to allow them to return to visit their families, and hoping fervently for a solution to the pain and suffering in Tibet and with the diaspora that has been experienced by generations.

This is the time for bold U.S. leadership, and I do believe that is what this bill offers tonight. Our timely consideration of this bill takes an important step forward in leveling the global playing field. This bill seeks to make simple policy changes to enforce reciprocity between our two countries, to make clear that China cannot bar our people from Tibet and continue to expect open access to our country. Allowing for the freedom of movement for people in both of our nations sets an important precedent going forward.

Mr. Speaker, let me just say that this has been an incredibly important bipartisan collaboration that we have had. I am very grateful to my colleague from Florida for her work on this, and I am also very grateful to Chairman Goodlatte and to Ranking Member Nadler for their work on this.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the minority leader, who has been a tireless champion on this issue for decades, has led many of us to meet with His Holiness, has worked with His Holiness to come here, and has been a champion for human rights around the world.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. I have no further speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I would just say that we are incredibly proud to be, hopefully, passing this legislation tonight with such bipartisan support and reminding the world that the United States stands for human rights. We stand for the human rights of Tibetans, and I thank my colleagues on the other side for their work on this.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source