Prohibiting the Commercial Export of Covered Munitions Items to the Hong Kong Police Force

Floor Speech

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Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2710) to prohibit the commercial export of covered munitions items to the Hong Kong Police Force.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: S. 2710

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.

(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--

(A) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and

(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

(2) Covered munitions items.--The term ``covered munitions items'' means tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, foam rounds, bean bag rounds, pepper balls, water cannons, handcuffs, shackles, stun guns, and tasers.

(3) Hong kong.--The term ``Hong Kong'' has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 5702).

(4) Hong kong police force.--The term ``Hong Kong Police Force'' means--

(A) the Hong Kong Police Force; and

(B) the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force. SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL EXPORT OF COVERED MUNITIONS ITEMS TO THE HONG KONG POLICE FORCE.

(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), beginning on the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall prohibit the issuance of licenses to export covered munitions items to the Hong Kong Police Force.

(b) Exceptions.--The prohibition set forth in subsection (a) shall not apply to the issuance of a license with respect to which the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees, not fewer than 30 days before the date of such issuance, a written notice--

(1) certifying that the exports to be covered by such license are important to the national interests and foreign policy goals of the United States; and

(2) describing the manner in which such exports will promote such interests and goals. SEC. 3. SUNSET.

The prohibition under section 2 shall expire one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

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Mr. SHERMAN. 2710.

Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking Senator Merkley for his hard work on this legislation. The House a few weeks before passed a similar measure, the PROTECT Hong Kong Act, authored by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), whom I was about to refer to as the Chair but has now joined us here in the regular seats of the House.

Such bipartisan, bicameral legislation supporting the people of Hong Kong is a testament to the relationship between our two peoples, but it is also an indication of Congress' deep concern over the growing violence in Hong Kong.

In recent weeks, we have seen an escalation in the conflict between Hong Kong's security forces and the people of Hong Kong. The same police forces sworn to protect the people are now indiscriminately targeting people with tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons. I am particularly heartbroken over the images of students under siege and parents begging the police not to shoot their children.

We have seen similar images before, just 30 years ago in Beijing. The fact that these horrors are now taking place in Hong Kong, a beacon of democracy and human rights, is worrisome. I am deeply concerned by the recent escalation of violence, and I call on all parties to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful solution to address the very legitimate concerns of the people of Hong Kong.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important measure and ensure that U.S. companies are not contributing to the suppression of Hong Kong's people in their fight to secure their freedoms and their democracy.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 2710, a bill that would prohibit the commercial export of covered munition items to the Hong Kong Police Force.

Mr. Speaker, I especially want to thank my good friend and colleague, Chairman McGovern, for his legislation, which is pretty much a companion bill that passed a little over 1 month ago, again, on the whole idea of U.S.-originated equipment being exploited in Hong Kong against these protesters. I thank him for doing that. We have raised this at hearings, and his bill was a great bill.

As the largest protest movement Hong Kong has ever seen continues, major concerns have arisen about the Hong Kong police's independence and professionalism. The people of Hong Kong are rightfully furious about well-documented cases of excessive force, brutal tactics, and tolerance of violence against protesters. The Hong Kong police themselves are now a cause of the protests.

There has been widespread police misuse of crowd control equipment and less-lethal weaponry, including incidents that have seriously injured journalists.

I am glad this bill is before us. After it passes, it goes to the President, and I fully expect he will sign it into law.

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Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, Members of this House will remember that, just a few months ago, we passed very similar legislation in the House to the bill that is in front of us today.

The gentleman wrote the House version of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, we have watched as the Chinese Communist Party works to break down and undermine the ``one country, two systems'' framework that has paved the way for a strong relationship between Hong Kong and the United States.

This has motivated millions of Hong Kongers, the people of Hong Kong, to take to the streets for months to protest in defense of their basic human rights. These prodemocracy activists have faced tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets by a police force sworn to protect them, and now they face lethal force as well.

The passage of this bill demonstrates, once again, to the people of Hong Kong that the United States stands with them in their protest of China's erosion of the autonomy and the way of life that was promised them back in 1997.

It takes a step to ensure that U.S. companies demonstrate a commitment to U.S. values in this regard, making sure that U.S. companies aren't facilitating violence against the protestors by selling what we, sadly, know can be lethal crowd control mechanisms.

This bill is an important part of Congress' response by the effort of Beijing to deprive Hong Kong of the autonomy and democracy that it was promised back in 1997.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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