[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR 
                            FISCAL YEAR 2021

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JENNIFER WEXTON

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 20, 2020

  Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of en bloc No. 2 and 
my amendment in support of the Uyghur people.
  Millions of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities have been arbitrarily 
detained and forced by the Chinese government into ``re-education'' and 
forced labor camps in Xinjiang.
  Under the label of ``poverty alleviation,'' Uyghurs are being 
assigned to factories in and outside of Xinjiang. These factories feed 
global supply chains that produce electronics, textiles, shoes, food 
products, and even PPE.
  According to a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 
some of the best-known brands in the world, including a number of U.S. 
companies, are unwittingly profiting from this scheme.
  U.S. law prohibits goods made using forced labor from entering our 
markets. However, Xinjiang accounts for 84 percent of the cotton 
produced in China, and is responsible for 1 in every 5 bales of cotton 
produced globally. Unless proactive measures are taken to prohibit 
sourcing from Xinjiang, U.S. companies risk being complicit in human 
rights abuses.
  My amendment would require DoD to create a process by which companies 
that sell goods in the commissary and exchange systems, that are 
partially or wholly manufactured from Xinjiang or with Xinjiang labor, 
to certify those goods were not manufactured using forced labor.
  Given the overwhelming evidence of wide-spread and systemic forced 
labor in China, as confirmed by testimony from camp survivors, 
satellite imagery, and leaked official documents, U.S. companies that 
import from the region should have already taken proactive measures to 
audit suppliers.
  For companies that haven't, under my amendment, they will be required 
to do so if they want to continue selling their products on our 
military bases. I urge my colleagues to support this important 
amendment.

                          ____________________