Uyghur Policy Act of 2025
Floor Speech
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Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2635 to support the human rights of Uyghurs, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am a proud supporter of Representative Kim's Uyghur Policy Act of 2025. The House Foreign Affairs Committee has played an important leadership role in pushing for the protection of Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang in the face of genocide and forced labor, as my colleague mentioned.
In the last few years, the Congress and the House Foreign Affairs Committee have prioritized this issue, including marking up and enacting the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, thanks in large part to Representative Jim McGovern and Speaker Emerita Pelosi's leadership, but our work is far from done because Beijing's oppression continues.
The legislation before us today is a strong, bipartisan bill. I hope it sends a clear signal to the Trump administration about Congress' intent. So far, the administration has cut congressionally authorized programs that support human rights in China, including initiatives empowering Chinese and Uyghur-related diaspora groups to combat transnational repression and defend religious freedom.
Despite the fact that Radio Free Asia helped break the story about China's program of detention, reeducation, and forced labor, this administration is trying to close Radio Free Asia as we speak. It has shut down the only independent Uyghur language service in the entire world.
I thank Representative Kim and Representative Bera for their leadership on this bill and hope this administration reverses course. These cuts aid the CCP, not the victims of their abuse or the American people.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to champion the protection of Uyghurs as a Member of Congress. Yet, let me point out someone who is also a fierce champion of the Uyghurs, perhaps their strongest supporter across the Capitol, and that is our current Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Then-Senator Rubio gave an important speech in the Senate to get the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act over the finish line just a few years ago in 2021. Yet, now, as Secretary, he has overseen drastic cuts to religious freedom and human rights programming that helps the Uyghurs.
I hope that this bill augurs a return to Senator Rubio, rather than what is a disheartening and nonstrategic policy that we have seen from the State Department today.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do so, as well, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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