Monmouth Times

Christopher H. Smith was mentioned in UYGHUR FORCED LABOR PREVENTION ACT..... on pages H7804-H7808 covering the 1st Session of the 117th Congress published on Dec. 14, 2021 in the Congressional Record.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

UYGHUR FORCED LABOR PREVENTION ACT

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill

(H.R. 6256) to ensure that goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China do not enter the United States market, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 6256

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

SECTION 1. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States--

(1) to strengthen the prohibition against the importation of goods made with forced labor, including by ensuring that the Government of the People's Republic of China does not undermine the effective enforcement of section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307), which prohibits the importation of all ``goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced or manufactured wholly or in part in any foreign country by ... forced labor'';

(2) to lead the international community in ending forced labor practices wherever such practices occur through all means available to the United States Government, including by stopping the importation of any goods made with forced labor, including those goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region;

(3) to coordinate with Mexico and Canada to effectively implement Article 23.6 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to prohibit the importation of goods produced in whole or in part by forced or compulsory labor, including those goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region;

(4) to actively work to prevent, publicly denounce, and end human trafficking including with respect to forced labor, whether sponsored by the government of a foreign country or not, and to restore the lives of those affected by human trafficking, a modern form of slavery;

(5) to regard the prevention of atrocities as it is in the national interest of the United States, including efforts to prevent torture, enforced disappearances, severe deprivation of liberty, including mass internment, arbitrary detention, and widespread and systematic use of forced labor, and persecution targeting any identifiable ethnic or religious group; and

(6) to address gross violations of human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

(A) through bilateral diplomatic channels and multilateral institutions where both the United States and the People's Republic of China are members; and

(B) using all the authorities available to the United States Government, including visa and financial sanctions, export restrictions, and import controls.

SEC. 2. STRATEGY TO ENFORCE PROHIBITION ON IMPORTATION OF

GOODS MADE THROUGH FORCED LABOR IN THE XINJIANG

UYGHUR AUTONOMOUS REGION.

(a) Public Comment.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, established under section 741 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 4681), shall publish in the Federal Register a notice soliciting public comments on how best to ensure that goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China, including by Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, and members of other persecuted groups in the People's Republic of China, and especially in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, are not imported into the United States.

(2) Period for comment.--The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force shall provide the public with not less than 45 days to submit comments in response to the notice required by paragraph (1).

(b) Public Hearing.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 45 days after the close of the period to submit comments under subsection (a)(2), the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force shall conduct a public hearing inviting witnesses to testify with respect to the use of forced labor in the People's Republic of China and potential measures, including the measures described in paragraph (2), to prevent the importation of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China into the United States.

(2) Measures described.--The measures described in this paragraph are--

(A) measures that can be taken to trace the origin of goods, offer greater supply chain transparency, and identify third country supply chain routes for goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China; and

(B) other measures for ensuring that goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor do not enter the United States.

(c) Development of Strategy.--After receiving public comments under subsection (a) and holding the hearing required by subsection (b), the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of National Intelligence, shall develop a strategy for supporting enforcement of Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) to prevent the importation into the United States of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China.

(d) Elements.--The strategy developed under subsection (c) shall include the following:

(1) A comprehensive assessment of the risk of importing goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China, including from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or made by Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, or members of other persecuted groups in any other part of the People's Republic of China, that identifies, to the extent feasible--

(A) threats, including through the potential involvement in supply chains of entities that may use forced labor, that could lead to the importation into the United States from the People's Republic of China, including through third countries, of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor; and

(B) what procedures can be implemented or improved to reduce such threats.

(2) A comprehensive description and evaluation--

(A) of ``pairing assistance'' and ``poverty alleviation'' or any other government labor scheme that includes the forced labor of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, or members of other persecuted groups outside of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or similar programs of the People's Republic of China in which work or services are extracted from Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, or members of other persecuted groups through the threat of penalty or for which the Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, or members of other persecuted groups have not offered themselves voluntarily; and

(B) that includes--

(i) a list of entities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region that mine, produce, or manufacture wholly or in part any goods, wares, articles and merchandise with forced labor;

(ii) a list of entities working with the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to recruit, transport, transfer, harbor or receive forced labor or Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or members of other persecuted groups out of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region;

(iii) a list of products mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by entities on the list required by clause

(i) or (ii);

(iv) a list of entities that exported products described in clause (iii) from the People's Republic of China into the United States;

(v) a list of facilities and entities, including the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, that source material from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or from persons working with the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps for purposes of the ``poverty alleviation'' program or the ``pairing-assistance'' program or any other government labor scheme that uses forced labor;

(vi) a plan for identifying additional facilities and entities described in clause (v);

(vii) an enforcement plan for each such entity whose goods, wares articles, or merchandise are exported into the United States, which may include issuing withhold release orders to support enforcement of section 4 with respect to the entity;

(viii) a list of high-priority sectors for enforcement, which shall include cotton, tomatoes, and polysilicon; and

(ix) an enforcement plan for each such high-priority sector.

(3) Recommendations for efforts, initiatives, and tools and technologies to be adopted to ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection can accurately identify and trace goods made in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region entering at any of the ports of the United States.

(4) A description of how U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to enhance its use of legal authorities and other tools to ensure that no goods are entered at any of the ports of the United States in violation of section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307), including through the initiation of pilot programs to test the viability of technologies to assist in the examination of such goods.

(5) A description of the additional resources necessary for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure that no goods are entered at any of the ports of the United States in violation of section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).

(6) Guidance to importers with respect to--

(A) due diligence, effective supply chain tracing, and supply chain management measures to ensure that such importers do not import any goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor from the People's Republic of China, especially from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region;

(B) the type, nature, and extent of evidence that demonstrates that goods originating in the People's Republic of China were not mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; and

(C) the type, nature, and extent of evidence that demonstrates that goods originating in the People's Republic of China, including goods detained or seized pursuant to section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307), were not mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor.

(7) A plan to coordinate and collaborate with appropriate nongovernmental organizations and private sector entities to implement and update the strategy developed under subsection

(c).

(e) Submission of Strategy.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, in consultation with the Department of Commerce and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that--

(A) in the case of the first such report, sets forth the strategy developed under subsection (c); and

(B) in the case of any subsequent such report, sets forth any updates to the strategy.

(2) Updates of certain matters.--Not less frequently than annually after the submission under paragraph (1)(A) of the strategy developed under subsection (c), the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees updates to the strategy with respect to the matters described in clauses (i) through (ix) of subsection (d)(2)(B).

(3) Form of report.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex, if necessary.

(4) Public availability.--The unclassified portion of each report required by paragraph (1) shall be made available to the public.

(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed to limit the application of regulations in effect on or measures taken before the date of the enactment of this Act to prevent the importation of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor into the United States, including withhold release orders issued before such date of enactment.

SEC. 3. REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION THAT IMPORT PROHIBITION

APPLIES TO GOODS MINED, PRODUCED, OR

MANUFACTURED IN THE XINJIANG UYGHUR AUTONOMOUS

REGION OR BY CERTAIN ENTITIES.

(a) In General.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall, except as provided by subsection

(b), apply a presumption that, with respect to any goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China or produced by an entity on a list required by clause (i), (ii),

(iv) or (v) of section 2(d)(2)(B)--

(1) the importation of such goods, wares, articles, and merchandise is prohibited under section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307); and

(2) such goods, wares, articles, and merchandise are not entitled to entry at any of the ports of the United States.

(b) Exceptions.--The Commissioner shall apply the presumption under subsection (a) unless the Commissioner determines--

(1) that the importer of record has--

(A) fully complied with the guidance described in section 2(d)(6) and any regulations issued to implement that guidance; and

(B) completely and substantively responded to all inquiries for information submitted by the Commissioner to ascertain whether the goods were mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor; and

(2) by clear and convincing evidence, that the good, ware, article, or merchandise was not mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced labor.

(c) Report Required.--The Commissioner shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to the public, not later than 30 days after making a determination of an exception under subsection (b), a report identifying the good and the evidence considered under subsection (b).

(d) Regulations.--The Commissioner may prescribe regulations--

(1) to implement paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b); or

(2) to amend any other regulations relating to withhold release orders in order to implement this section.

(e) Effective Date.--This section takes effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY TO ADDRESS FORCED LABOR IN THE

XINJIANG UYGHUR AUTONOMOUS REGION.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains a United States strategy to promote initiatives to enhance international awareness of and to address forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.

(b) Matters to Be Included.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall include--

(1) a plan to enhance bilateral and multilateral coordination, including sustained engagement with the governments of United States partners and allies, to end forced labor of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, and members of other persecuted groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region;

(2) a description of public affairs, public diplomacy, and counter-messaging efforts to promote awareness of the human rights situation, including forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; and

(3) a plan--

(A) to coordinate and collaborate with appropriate nongovernmental organizations and private sector entities to raise awareness about goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; and

(B) to provide humanitarian assistance, including with respect to resettlement and advocacy for imprisoned family members, to Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, and members of other persecuted groups, including members of such groups formerly detained in mass internment camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

(c) Additional Matters to Be Included.--The Secretary shall include in the report required by subsection (a), based on consultations with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of the Treasury, the following--

(1) to the extent practicable, a list of--

(A) entities in the People's Republic of China or affiliates of such entities that use or benefit from forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; and

(B) Foreign persons that acted as agents of the entities or affiliates of entities described in subparagraph (A) to import goods into the United States.

(2) A plan for working with private sector entities seeking to conduct supply chain due diligence to prevent the importation of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor into the United States.

(3) A plan of actions taken by the United States Government to address forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region under existing authorities, including--

(A) the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-386; 22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.);

(B) the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-441; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note); and

(C) the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act

(22 U.S.C. 2656 note).

(d) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex, if necessary.

(e) Updates.--The Secretary of State may include any updates to the strategy required by subsection (a) in the annual Trafficking in Persons report required by section 110(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)).

SEC. 5. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS RELATING TO FORCED LABOR IN

THE XINJIANG UYGHUR AUTONOMOUS REGION.

(a) In General.--Section 6(a)(1) of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-145; 22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(F) Serious human rights abuses in connection with forced labor.''.

(b) Effective Date; Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a)--

(1) takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act; and

(2) applies with respect to the first report required by section 6(a)(1) of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 submitted after such date of enactment.

(c) Transition Rule.--

(1) Interim report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the committees specified in section 6(a)(1) of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 a report that identifies each foreign person, including any official of the Government of the People's Republic of China, that the President determines is responsible for serious human rights abuses in connection with forced labor with respect to Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or members of other persecuted groups, or other persons in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

(2) Imposition of sanctions.--The President shall impose sanctions under subsection (c) of section 6 of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 with respect to each foreign person identified in the report required by paragraph (1), subject to the provisions of subsections (d), (e), (f), and

(g) of that section.

SEC. 6. SUNSET.

Sections 3, 4, and 5 shall cease to have effect on the earlier of--

(1) the date that is 8 years after the date of the enactment of this Act; or

(2) the date on which the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees a determination that the Government of the People's Republic of China has ended mass internment, forced labor, and any other gross violations of human rights experienced by Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tibetans, and members of other persecuted groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term

``appropriate congressional committees'' means--

(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.

(2) Forced labor.--The term ``forced labor''--

(A) has the meaning given that term in section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307); and

(B) includes convict labor and indentured labor under penal sanctions.

(3) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means a person that is not a United States person.

(4) Person.--The term ``person'' means an individual or entity.

(5) United states person.--The term ``United States person'' means--

(A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States; or

(B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such an entity

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr) each will control 20 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.

General Leave

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6256.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York?

There was no objection.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6256, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act introduced by my good friend, colleague, and chair of the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern.

Last week, Mr. Speaker, we passed Chair McGovern's original legislation on the House floor. I heard my Republican friends comment that this bill was being slow-walked by the House Democrats; that we were supposedly passing Chairman McGovern's bill to stall and negotiate the Senate bill. Even if we did reach agreement, my colleagues across the aisle surmised that the President would not support the compromise package.

Here we are, less than 6 days later, and a compromise between the House and the Senate versions has already been negotiated. Just a few hours ago, unsurprisingly, the Biden administration announced that it would sign this vital piece of legislation.

The biggest difference between the two packages was the House called for implementation in 120 days; the Senate wanted to wait 270 days. We have negotiated them down to 180 days. The crucial protections of this law will come into effect months earlier because of House Democrats.

Let me be clear, this is a good thing because it is a bipartisan measure. I am glad that such important legislation will pass with near unanimous support from both parties. That is what this should be.

Since 2017, the People's Republic of China has systematically carried out mass detention, torture, political indoctrination, restrictions on religious practices, and inhumane atrocities against Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.

We have seen the People's Republic of China expand its extensive program of oppression and transform it into a system of state-sponsored forced labor. Under the guise of vocational training or poverty alleviation, authorities in Xinjiang have forced thousands of adults and children to work against their will and under threat of punishment to produce goods and raw materials that are then woven into international supply chains and then to our homes.

This bill, which has passed the House before, prohibits the import of goods and merchandise from Xinjiang unless the importer can prove the products did not come from forced labor, imposes sanctions on officials facilitating the use of forced labor against Chinese ethnic minorities, adds important financial disclosures for public companies that do business in the region, and also calls for a diplomatic strategy to address forced labor in Xinjiang.

This is a straightforward bill. It signals that America will not tolerate forced labor, and products made from forced labor shall not enter the American marketplace. In 2021, for any country to utilize forced labor systematically and to oppress and exploit its population is unconscionable, unacceptable, and, indeed, un-American. We cannot and will not stand idly by.

This legislation is critical to showing that we are putting human rights at the center of our foreign and economic policy. I support this bill, and I look forward to continuing to work.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Barr, Mr. McCaul, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming forward and speaking up, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, my good friend from New York (Mr. Meeks), for his leadership in helping support this legislation and bringing it to the House floor.

I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his leadership in recognizing this serious human rights travesty that is happening.

I also want to thank the 11 House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans who are cosponsors of this legislation, including Mr. Smith of New Jersey.

I want to thank Senator Rubio from Florida for working with the gentleman from Massachusetts on finding a bipartisan and bicameral compromise to bring this important legislation to the floor.

{time} 2045

Mr. Speaker, it is past time for this Chamber and the Congress to act to stop the Chinese Communist Party from using American consumers to subsidize its brutality. Preventing products made with slave labor from contaminating our market is a longstanding priority of U.S. trade, not just because it puts American manufacturers at a disadvantage, but because the American values that we all share will not tolerate it.

Truly free trade cannot involve slave labor. But today, the CCP is using the forced labor of Uyghurs and other minorities to help bankroll its genocide against those very same groups. The repression taking place right now in Xinjiang is breathtaking in its scope and in its brutality. More than 1 million people have been locked in concentration camps and subjected to surveillance and brainwashing on a massive scale.

Families are being broken up and children are being taken from their parents. Forced sterilization and forced abortion are being used to limit births among ethnic groups targeted by the CCP.

This is outrageous human rights violations and the world cannot turn a blind eye. It is a horrific warning, not only to China's neighbors and to the American people, but to the world. The Chinese Communist Party is fundamentally focused on expanding its power and its authoritarian style of government. It views things that it does not control, like religion, cultural identity, and the yearning of all people for freedom, as threats that must be destroyed.

Because we have drawn the CCP into many of our most critical supply chains, it has the ability to hold our national security hostage while it uses U.S. consumers to subsidize its atrocities. This cannot stand. As many as one in five cotton garments globally are potentially tainted with Uyghur slave labor.

Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a 13-ton shipment of human hair that originated in Xinjiang's forced labor system. We have a duty to prevent the CCP from making Americans complicit in these sickening abuses. For that reason, I support the bipartisan bill before us today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the sponsor of this bill and chairman of the Rules Committee.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Meeks for yielding me the time and for his leadership on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that we are able to move this compromised Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act so quickly after the House passed my bill, H.R. 1155, last week. And I want to thank my partner in this effort in the Senate, Senator Marco Rubio, for working quickly and diligently with us to negotiate this agreement. I wanted to especially thank Speaker Pelosi for her strong moral leadership in getting this done. No one in this body--and I mean no one--has had a more consistent and principled position in standing up for the human rights of the people of China and Tibet. She has been a critical part of nearly every single piece of China human rights legislation focused on China that Congress has passed in recent years, and her steadfast commitment to getting this bill across the finish line is why we are here today.

Forced labor is a serious human rights abuse. It is illegal under United States law to import goods made with forced labor. But we are compelled to move this legislation by the genocide and crimes against humanity being committed by the Chinese Government against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, of which forced labor is a key factor.

We must pass this legislation to give Americans the peace of mind that the clothes they wear, the food they eat, and the technology that they use are not tainted by forced labor perpetrated by the Chinese Government.

This bill combines my legislation, which passed the House by a vote of 428-1 last week, and Senator Rubio's bill, which passed by voice vote, into a version that both Chambers can support. This is a strong, bipartisan, bicameral consensus bill. This bill shortens the time the forced labor import ban goes into effect to 180 days, from the Senate's 300 days.

It requires a strong, clear and convincing evidence standard for exceptions to the rebuttable presumption.

It empowers the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to devise and oversee the strategy to prohibit the import of forced labor goods from Xinjiang.

In short, this is a good bill. It is a tougher bill than what passed the Senate, and I want to thank my House colleagues for this report.

I want to thank Chairman Meeks again. I want to thank Ranking Member McCaul, Chairman Neal, and Chairwoman Waters for their work. I want to thank Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey for all of his support.

On the Senate side, I want to thank Senators Rubio and Merkley for their leadership. And, again, I want to thank Speaker Pelosi for her strong and steadfast commitment to getting this done.

So let's stand up for human rights. Let's stand against genocide and against crimes against humanity. And let's get the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to the President's desk as soon as possible.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), a Member of this body who, for many, many years, has been a champion of human rights and, frankly, no one has done more to advance the cause of human rights than my colleague from New Jersey.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership, and I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their concerted efforts to get this legislation and like-minded legislation moving forward; and, of course, Jim McGovern, he is the prime sponsor, and I am the prime Republican cosponsor, I want to thank him for his leadership on this as well. It is so very, very important.

Mr. Speaker, Mihrigul Tursun said she pleaded with God to end her life as her Chinese jailers increased the electrical currents coursing through her body.

Mihrigul, a Muslim Uyghur, whose escape from Xi Jinping's genocide led her to the United States, actually broke down weeping at a November 28, 2018, congressional hearing co-chaired by Senator Marco Rubio and I--as co-chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China--as she recounted her experience in one of China's infamous concentration camps.

She testified, and I quote her in part, that ``there were around 60 people kept in a 430-square-foot cell, so at night, 10 to 15 women would stand up while the rest of us would sleep on our sides.'' She said, ``There were people there who had not taken a shower in over a year.

``I clearly remember the torture . . .'' she said, ``in the tiger chair the second time I was incarcerated. I was taken to a special room with an electric chair. It was the interrogation room, and it had one light and one chair. There were belts and whips hanging on the wall. I was placed in a high chair that clicked to lock my arms and legs in place and tightened when they pressed the button.''

She goes on, ``My head was shaved beforehand for the maximum impact. The authorities put a helmet-like thing on my head. Each time I was electrocuted,'' she went on, ``my whole body would shake violently, and I could feel the pain in my veins. I thought I would rather die than go through this torture and begged them to kill me. They insulted me with humiliating words and pressured me to admit my guilt.

``The nights were the busiest time in the camps,'' she went on. ``A lot of activities such as transferring people between cells and removing the dead bodies would happen all night long. In the silence of the night, we would hear the men from the other cells groaning in agony. We could hear the beatings, the men screaming. . . .''

``While burying my 4-month-old baby,'' she had had triplets, ``I was tormented and filled with the guilt of not being able to save my son.''

She admonished us, pleaded with us, ``Please take action against the Chinese officials responsible for my torture and the death of my little boy and the death of so many innocent Uyghurs in the camps.''

Mr. Speaker, there are millions and millions of stories just like this waiting to be told, truly nightmarish accounts of President Xi Jinping's genocide.

In response, I, joined by my friend and colleague, Tom Suozzi, introduced the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2018.

But this bill, H.R. 1155, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which, again, I cosponsored with Mr. McGovern, is important and necessary to end or at least mitigate our complicity in Xi Jinping's genocide.

Let's not forget the documents obtained by The New York Times which made clear that this is Xi Jinping's genocide. He ordered it. And early next year he will be hosting the Winter Olympics.

The leaked documents show Xi saying things like show ``absolutely no mercy'' in dealing with the Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities. In one speech he said: ``The weapons of the people's democratic dictatorship must be wielded without any hesitation or wavering.''

Mr. Speaker, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act prohibits imports from Xinjiang to the U.S. by creating a rebuttable presumption. That is the core of this bill, a presumption that all goods produced in the region are made with forced labor unless U.S. Customs and Border Protection certifies by clear and convincing evidence that goods were not produced with forced labor. It is a good bill and deserves the support of every Member of this body.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), a great member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and thank him for his extraordinary bipartisan leadership on this issue and on so many issues that come before our committee. I want to begin by acknowledging the leadership of the Speaker who has been an advocate and a strong voice for human rights around the world, but particularly in China for many, many years.

I rise, Mr. Speaker, in strong support of this bicameral version of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, to ensure that the United States does all we can to condemn the appalling human rights record of the Chinese Government against Uyghur Muslims. With the ongoing genocide against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang, and with the crackdown on democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong, the world has seen what a glimpse of Chinese leadership in the international system would mean: a rejection of human rights; a commitment to authoritarianism; a silenced press; and the abandonment of the rule of law.

In Xinjiang, over 1 million members of the Uyghur population have been forced to live in squalor; forced to abandon their beliefs; forced to abandon their children; and forced to work. Many have been tortured. Many have died. All have suffered.

Policies undertaken in Xinjiang continue to stir the conscience and represent this country's most agonizing human rights catastrophes ever. The Chinese Government has unleashed a series of draconian measures that should give anyone in the civilized world a pause. They have mandated abortions, they have forcibly sterilized men and women; they have forcibly taken over half a million children from their families, and they have sent them to so-called reeducation centers.

They monitor the movements and the online activities of millions, ensuring Uyghurs and other minorities are robbed of their privacy; and they force Uyghurs and other minorities into factories for no pay and with no recourse.

We must recognize that the Chinese Government built this policy over time. What has happened to the Uyghur population is not borne out of spontaneous brutality; it has been a well-planned endeavor designed to extinguish a population that China finds undesirable.

This is a systematic policy that denies the Uyghurs their humanity, their dignity, and seeks to ultimately deny them of their existence.

We must do all we can to ensure that the clarion call of ``never again'' reverberates around the globe. This bill would ensure that goods made in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region imported into the United States are not made with forced labor.

I want to thank Chairman McGovern for his extraordinary leadership and urge all of my colleagues to support the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and again thank the chairman for his courtesy.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in recent years the world has stood by as the Chinese Communist Party has detained more than 1 million ethnic minorities in concentration camps where they are tortured, brainwashed, and put into forced labor. This is all part of a deliberate program by the CCP to wipe out their ethnic identity, their religion, their culture, anything that might compete with the Communist Party for their loyalties and affection.

We have a moral duty to speak out against these horrifying crimes, but we have an even greater duty to avoid funding this genocide by paying for slave labor in Xinjiang.

Many American companies have built their businesses on values that include respect for basic human rights. The United States must continue to lead the world in setting corporate responsibility standards. There can no longer be business as usual with China. The world is watching.

While this bill did not go through regular order in the Foreign Affairs Committee, I commend Chairman McGovern and Senator Marco Rubio for coming to this important bipartisan agreement.

I appreciate the chairman's leadership, and it is good to have a bipartisan bill where we stand united in one voice for human rights, and to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable.

I support this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

{time} 2100

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 6256, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, is an opportunity for this body to send a resounding message to the world. We are engaged in a strategic competition with China around the world, and our stance on this issue, I believe, will define why our system is better. We aggressively oppose forced labor and Islamophobia, and we will back up our values with our actions.

In this major piece of legislation, we are doing it together, Democrats and Republicans, working with Ranking Member McCaul and others, because it is the right thing to do. It is the right message to send.

So let us do it; let us get it out; let us stand tall; let us be true to our values. Let not China get away with Islamophobia. Let's make sure we wipe out Islamophobia, racism, and anti-Semitism from all corners of this place that we call the planet Earth.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6256.

The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.

A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

____________________

SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 215

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.