[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6632-S6633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               HONG KONG

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, over the past few days and weeks, 
reports about the democratic protests in Hong Kong have grown more and 
more troubling. The authorities in Hong Kong have cracked down 
violently on some of the protesters, firing hundreds of rounds of tear 
gas at a local university and even using lethal force in a few tragic 
situations. As many have observed, some of the pictures coming out of 
Hong Kong are reminiscent of a war zone.
  Yesterday, the Chinese Communist Party dealt another blow to Hong 
Kong's special status, criticizing the ruling by the territory's High 
Court that reversed the Hong Kong Government's ban on masks. The 
Communist Party declared that only the Chinese legislature has the 
right to decide whether Hong Kong's laws are consistent with the Hong 
Kong basic law and that no other authority has the right to make these 
judgments. That assertion by the Chinese Communist Party is a direct 
assault on Hong Kong's judicial independence. Make no mistake about it, 
this Communist Party is cruel and relentless in cracking down on any 
dissent in every part of China. What they are doing to the Uighurs at 
the other end of the Chinese country--far away from Hong Kong--is just 
brutal and awful.
  We in the United States stand in solidarity with the democratic 
protesters, who have every right to assemble and petition their 
government for the rights of the citizens of Hong Kong. The 
administration and the President himself should voice their support for 
the protesters in Hong Kong, which would send an important message to 
the Chinese Communist Party not to get involved or in any way escalate 
the situation. Secretary Pompeo's call for calm yesterday is weak tea--
not close to enough. Beyond the Presidential statement, there are 
actions we can take here in Congress because, frankly, I have been very 
disappointed that the President, in this dramatic situation

[[Page S6633]]

with Hong Kong, does not do what Democratic or Republican Presidents 
have done in the past in standing up for human rights and democracy. He 
has not done that. He doesn't seem to care. As we know, he seems more 
eager to please dictators than to please those who are fighting for 
democracy.

  Congress can act. We have a bipartisan bill in the Senate that has 
many cosponsors, including the senior Senators from Florida and New 
Jersey and from Maryland as well, that would reaffirm our steadfast 
support for Hong Kong's autonomy, democracy, and respect for human 
rights. It would amend the Hong Kong Policy Act in order to give us the 
tools to safeguard and protect Hong Kong's democracy and autonomy and 
hold accountable those responsible for the abuse of the human rights of 
the people of Hong Kong.
  There is no objection to this bill on the Democratic side of the 
aisle. We believe the Senate should pass it. If there are objections on 
the Republicans' side, let's take a few days and work through the bill 
on the floor. We haven't done much legislation. Here is a place at 
which we can come together in a bipartisan way. So, if there are no 
objections, great. Let's pass it this afternoon. I believe the Senator 
from Florida will make a unanimous consent request in that regard. If 
there are objections, I urge the Republican leader, who has spoken out 
and defended the protests, to take a few days. Let someone try to 
invoke cloture--it will fail miserably--and let's vote on this. Then, 
maybe, the House will pass it. That would be something, I think, that 
would happen and with the President as well.
  In addition, the Senator from Oregon, along with some others, has a 
bill that U.S. companies shouldn't sell lethal types of equipment to 
the Hong Kong police that have been used on the protesters. I would 
hope we could find a way to work that proposal into this bill or, 
maybe, we could make a unanimous consent request alongside it.
  Nonetheless, we should pass the bipartisan bill in the Senate, 
reconcile it with similar legislation in the House, and quickly send it 
to the President's desk. It would be the strongest action Congress 
could take immediately to demonstrate Americans' support for the 
protests in Hong Kong. It would send a strong and clear message to the 
ruling party in Beijing. It would make a real difference.
  The words on the floor the Republican leader mentioned yesterday were 
good but were not sufficient. Again, I urge him to move on this 
legislation, if we can, by unanimous consent. If not, let's have a 
debate on the floor so the handful of Senators who might try to block 
it are thwarted, and the bill will move forward.

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