No Dollars to Uyghur Forced Labor Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1724, the No Dollars to Uyghur Forced Labor Act.

Congress has a history of bipartisan cooperation to call out Beijing's genocide and human rights abuses against Uyghurs and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang.

We passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which was signed into law by President Biden in 2021, but our work isn't done because Beijing's repression isn't done.

Just as was done in the 118th Congress, today we should pass H.R. 1724.

This bill prohibits the State Department and USAID from funding grants or contracts with companies or organizations that import products mined, produced, or manufactured in Xinjiang. The intention of this bill is to make sure that the standards we use at home when it comes to forced labor also apply to American activities abroad.

I commend Representative Moran for his sustained focus on forced labor and fully endorse the spirit of his bill.

Given that this bill is being taken directly to the floor without the benefit of feedback from the State Department however, I ask that we work with our Senate colleagues and the administration to ensure that it is ultimately implemented in a way that is both workable and does not inadvertently impede critical State Department operations and programming.

This bill is especially necessary because the Trump administration's actions have gutted U.S. leadership on these issues. Thus far, the administration has cut funding for programs that support human rights in the China context, even though Congress explicitly authorized and appropriated such funding via statute.

We know the administration has cut at least $50 million for projects that focused on addressing Beijing's human rights abuses. This includes programs that were empowering Chinese advocates and diaspora groups to combat transnational repression, monitoring forced labor goods in global supply chains, and promoting religious freedoms.

The administration is also trying to shutter Radio Free Asia as we speak, despite the fact that Radio Free Asia helped break the story about the PRC's program of detention, reeducation, and forced labor in Xinjiang. The administration's opposition to Uyghur resettlement in the United States is hypocritical at best and morally reprehensible at worst.

This bill is a good step for Congress to take, but President Trump is squandering American leadership and taking us backward.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1724 calls on the State Department and USAID to verify they are not funding any programs or projects that unwittingly use goods or materials made using forced labor in Xinjiang. This is a preventative measure to ensure that America's diplomacy, development, and economic engagement continue to stay true to America's values. I hope my colleagues will join me and support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

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