[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H7504-H7507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE 
   INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE FAILED TO ADHERE TO ITS OWN HUMAN 
                           RIGHTS COMMITMENTS

  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 837) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that the International Olympic Committee failed to 
adhere to its own human rights commitments, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

[[Page H7505]]

  


                              H. Res. 837

       Whereas, on November 2, 2021, 3-time Olympian Peng Shuai 
     went missing after she said in a since-deleted post on 
     Chinese social media site Weibo that she had been sexually 
     assaulted and forced into a sexual relationship with Zhang 
     Gaoli, who was the senior Vice Premier of the State Council 
     of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2013 to 2018;
       Whereas PRC authorities have imposed a media and internet 
     blackout of discussions of Peng's case, and the words 
     ``tennis'' and the surname ``Peng'' have been censored online 
     within China;
       Whereas, on November 14, 2021, after Peng had not been seen 
     or heard from for 12 days, Women's Tennis Association (WTA) 
     CEO Steve Simon requested a ``full and transparent'' 
     investigation into Peng's allegations;
       Whereas the hashtag ``#WhereIsPengShuai'' trended across 
     social media worldwide, with the exception of the PRC where 
     it is censored;
       Whereas, on November 17, 2021, the WTA received a statement 
     purporting to be from Peng, recanting her abuse claim and 
     saying ``everything is fine'';
       Whereas in response, WTA CEO Steve Simon said the response 
     ``released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai 
     only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts'';
       Whereas in response, the International Olympic Committee 
     (IOC) said in a statement that it was ``encouraged by 
     assurance that she is safe'';
       Whereas, on November 19 and 20, 2021, photos and videos of 
     Peng appearing in her home, in a restaurant, and at a youth 
     tennis event in Beijing emerged on Twitter accounts 
     affiliated with government-run media, and at the same time, 
     Peng has not spoken directly with the media or the WTA;
       Whereas, on November 19, 2021, White House Press Secretary 
     Jen Psaki said the White House is ``deeply concerned'' over 
     Peng's disappearance and seeks ``independent and verifiable 
     proof'' of her location and condition;
       Whereas, on November 19, 2021, Liz Throssell, the 
     spokesperson of the United Nations Human Rights office, told 
     reporters ``. . .it would be important to have proof of her 
     whereabouts and wellbeing, and we would urge that there be an 
     investigation with full transparency into her allegations of 
     sexual assault'';
       Whereas, on November 21, 2021, the IOC said in a statement 
     that its President, Thomas Bach, had a 30-minute video call 
     with 3-time Olympian Peng Shuai, joined by a Chinese sports 
     official and an IOC official;
       Whereas the statement said that, during the call, Peng 
     appeared to be ``doing fine'' and ``relaxed'', and said she 
     ``would like to have her privacy respected'';
       Whereas the IOC did not explain how the video call with 
     Peng had been organized, given the difficulties other 
     concerned parties have had reaching her;
       Whereas, on November 30, 2021, IOC official Dick Pound in 
     an interview with CNN defended the Chinese Government's 
     handling of the situation and said the ``unanimous 
     conclusion'' by IOC officials on the call is that Peng Shuai 
     is ``fine'';
       Whereas the annual report of the Congressional-Executive 
     Commission on China for 2020 finds that gender-based violence 
     in China remains a serious issue, and highly publicized cases 
     of sexual assault continue to surface;
       Whereas, on December 1, 2021, the WTA suspended all WTA 
     tournaments in China and Hong Kong;
       Whereas WTA chairman Steve Simon stated, ``In good 
     conscience, I don't see how I can ask our athletes to compete 
     there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely 
     and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation 
     of sexual assault. Given the current state of affairs, I am 
     also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our 
     players and staff could face if we were to hold events in 
     China in 2022.'';
       Whereas the PRC has repeatedly detained ``#MeToo'' 
     activists in China and censored online and public discussion 
     around sexual assault and harassment; and
       Whereas athletes from the around the world are headed to 
     Beijing for the Olympic games starting in February 2022: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that--
       (1) the case of Peng Shuai is directly related to broader 
     international concerns around the freedom of speech and 
     safety of athletes participating in the 2022 Olympics in 
     Beijing;
       (2) the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) role in 
     legitimizing the People's Republic of China's (PRC) claims 
     about Peng's safety raise questions about the organization's 
     ability and willingness to protect the rights of athletes 
     participating in the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic games in 
     Beijing;
       (3) the PRC would help reduce concerns about athlete safety 
     at the Beijing Olympics by assuring Peng's freedom and safety 
     and investigating her allegations in a fair and transparent 
     manner;
       (4) the PRC should immediately take steps to--
       (A) provide independent and verifiable proof of Peng's 
     whereabouts and that she is safe;
       (B) allow Peng to engage directly with the WTA and the 
     United Nations to independently verify her safety and explain 
     her absence from public life since making her allegation;
       (C) open an independent and transparent investigation into 
     Peng's allegations against former senior Vice Premier Zhang 
     Gaoli;
       (D) publicly commit to hold sexual violence abusers 
     accountable;
       (E) cease all censorship of reporting and discussions of 
     Peng's case; and
       (F) allow Peng to leave China if she so desires, and 
     prevent any retaliation against family members remaining 
     there;
       (5) by acquiescing to the Chinese Communist Party's 
     narrative, the IOC failed to adhere to its own human rights 
     commitments and protect the safety and free speech of Olympic 
     athletes;
       (6) the IOC's conduct has undermined the efforts by the 
     United States Government, human rights organizations, the 
     Women's Tennis Association, and other international bodies 
     and individuals to secure Peng's safety; and
       (7) in an effort to regain lost public confidence, the IOC 
     should publicly call on the Government of the PRC to 
     undertake the actions called for in paragraph (4).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Meeks) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) 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 may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H. Res. 837.
  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.
  I rise today in support of H. Res. 837, as amended, expressing the 
sense of the House of Representatives that Beijing should immediately 
guarantee the safety and the freedom of tennis star Peng Shuai, 
introduced by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton).
  Last month, former Wimbledon women's doubles champion and three-time 
Olympian Peng Shuai accused former Vice Premier of the State Council 
Zhang Gaoli of committing sexual assault and forcing her into a sexual 
relationship.
  After these groundbreaking allegations were made, the first sexual 
assault allegation to implicate a high-ranking Chinese official, Peng 
seemingly vanished into thin air, and China's great firewall went into 
overdrive, deleting the original post, censoring any mention of Peng's 
name or discussion of her allegations online.
  We know that here in America, sexual assault and gender-based 
violence are serious problems, and it took a movement of brave women 
and their allies to start changing the conversation around our 
workplaces and our homes and in our schools and communities.
  Due to the action of journalists, the tennis community, activists, 
and social media users across the globe who started to ask about Peng's 
whereabouts, there has been tremendous attention given to her case. 
However, I, like many of my colleagues, remain deeply concerned about 
Peng's whereabouts and well-being. It is vital that we get assurances 
that Peng is safe and her ability to speak out is not constrained.
  This important, bipartisan resolution calls for independent and 
verifiable proof that she is safe and free to make decisions and take 
actions of her own free will.
  The accusations of sexual abuse by a former senior official are very 
serious, and this resolution calls for the Government of the People's 
Republic of China to immediately conduct a formal, transparent, and 
independent investigation.
  At a time when we are preparing to send hundreds of American athletes 
to compete in Beijing's Winter Olympics, this resolution calls on the 
International Olympic Committee to do more to ensure athlete safety and 
hold the PRC Government accountable for its actions against Peng.
  This is timely and is also an urgent resolution. I support it, and I 
urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Waltz), a member of the Committee on Armed 
Services and ranking member of the

[[Page H7506]]

Science, Space, and Technology Committee's Subcommittee on Research and 
Technology and also the Republican coauthor of this bill.
  Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague, Mr. Meeks, eloquently 
mentioned, it is worth repeating again that Peng Shuai on November 2 
posted on her social media account a detailed allegation of sexual 
abuse against a former Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China, 
a very senior official.
  In her post, she said: ``I couldn't describe how disgusted I was and 
how many times I asked myself, am I still a human? I feel like a 
walking corpse.''
  It shouldn't surprise anybody that the CCP, the Chinese Communist 
Party, immediately censored her post and any mention of these 
allegations and basically wiped it off the face of the Earth. She has 
since been absent and unresponsive to friends except for a clearly 
fabricated statement and video in a clearly coerced session, shamefully 
with International Olympic Committee officials.
  This would be like if a U.S. tennis star made an accusation, a 
credible one, of sexual abuse against a Vice President of the United 
States, and then she disappeared. That is what essentially has 
happened.
  On November 21, the IOC said in a statement that its president, 
Thomas Bach, had a 30-minute video call but yet wouldn't release the 
video afterward. The IOC's participation in this charade is a disgrace.
  After the call, IOC official Dick Pound said it is the IOC's 
unanimous conclusion by IOC officials that Peng is fine.
  This is the definition of perpetuating CCP propaganda. It is exactly 
the opposite of what we should expect in the world.
  The Women's Tennis Association has demanded accountability, demanded 
that her whereabouts be disclosed, that she be able to talk to 
colleagues and friends, and that her sexual assault allegation be taken 
seriously and fully investigated.
  Importantly, unlike the National Basketball Association, the 
Olympics, and so many others, the WTA has said they are going to forgo 
any future tournaments in China, which is a significant, significant 
portion of their revenue. In short, they are putting their money where 
their mouth is. They are walking the walk, not just talking the talk.
  This is exactly why we cannot send our athletes to the Beijing 
Olympics. We cannot guarantee their safety. We cannot turn a blind eye 
to the ongoing genocide. We cannot allow American companies that want 
to preach social justice here in the United States because it helps 
their balance sheet to then ignore basic human rights when it comes to 
China to also pad their balance sheet.
  I would ask any of my colleagues, when it comes to the Winter 
Olympics, did they agree with the IOC stepping into politics when it 
comes to apartheid? The IOC not only banned the Olympics from happening 
in South Africa under apartheid, but they banned the South African 
Olympic Committee from participating in the Olympics for 30 years.

  Yet when it comes to China, when it comes to the abuses of the 
Chinese Communist Party, we have a whole heck of a lot of silence. If 
we won't take a stand now, what will we take a stand for?
  I support the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Meeks), and the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton) in 
this important effort.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton), the sponsor of this bill along 
with the cosponsor, Mr. Waltz.
  Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Meeks for bringing this 
bill to the floor and to Speaker Pelosi for her steadfast commitment to 
holding the PRC accountable for its human rights abuses. Thank you also 
to my colead on the resolution, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Waltz). 
It has been a pleasure to work with him in such a bipartisan way.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my resolution calling on the 
People's Republic of China to immediately guarantee the safety and 
freedom of Peng Shuai and condemning the International Olympic 
Committee for its shameful handling of the situation and failure to 
uphold its own human rights standards.
  Over 1 month has passed since tennis superstar and three-time 
Olympian Peng Shuai was censored and disappeared after alleging her 
rape by a senior member of China's Communist Party.
  Within minutes of posting the allegations on Chinese social media 
site Weibo, the post disappeared, and shortly thereafter all mentions 
of Peng on social media did, too.
  Since then, Peng has not been seen or heard from in public and has 
only been seen in videos released by the Chinese state media, raising 
serious questions about her safety and freedom and leaving the world to 
ask: Where is Peng Shuai?
  Her case has drawn support from all over the world, including from 
tennis stars Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, and Novak Djokovic. The 
hashtag ``Where is Peng Shuai'' has trended globally on Twitter.
  Women's Tennis Association CEO Steve Simon called for a full and 
transparent investigation into Peng's allegations and eventually 
suspended all WTA tournaments in China, citing concerns about the risks 
players could face at the hands of the PRC.
  The WTA's actions and Peng's bravery in coming forward stand in stark 
contrast to the IOC, which is undermining efforts to secure Peng's 
safety by working hand-in-hand with Beijing to cover up her allegations 
and disappearance.
  Instead of prioritizing the safety of an Olympian who may be in 
danger, the IOC is once again putting its bottom line over athletes' 
safety and allowing itself to be used as a tool by the world's worst 
human rights abuser.
  In a matter of weeks, our athletes will be in Beijing for the opening 
ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Games, and the IOC's complicity in this 
coverup raises serious questions about the organization's ability or 
even their willingness to protect our athletes.
  Today, we are calling on the PRC to provide independent and 
verifiable proof of Peng's whereabouts and that she is safe and to 
allow Peng to communicate directly with the WTA and the United Nations.
  The IOC must call on the PRC to undertake these actions immediately, 
stop legitimizing Beijing's coverup, and uphold its own human rights 
commitments to protect the safety and speech of Olympic athletes. The 
world is watching.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, when international institutions become unaccountable to 
the democratic world and are co-opted by dictators, they undermine 
American interests and values. That has become even clearer over the 
last few years.
  When the COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, the World Health 
Organization's complicity and the CCP's coverup helped turn what could 
have been a local outbreak into a global pandemic. We are still feeling 
the effects of the WHO repeating the CCP's lies without scrutiny, with 
them covering for Xi Jinping and with them legitimizing sham 
investigations into the origination of the virus.
  The International Olympic Committee has a similar track record toward 
the CCP's human rights abuses. No human rights conditions were ever 
imposed by the IOC as a condition for China to host the 2008 Summer 
Olympics, and the CCP used it as propaganda to whitewash their brutal 
oppression. They allowed Beijing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, once 
again turning a blind eye to the gross human rights violations and 
genocide currently being committed.
  Over the last several weeks, we have seen the IOC change from 
passively validating the CCP's abuses to actively enabling them. The 
most troubling example is the ongoing abuse of Chinese Olympian Peng 
Shuai. She was disappeared by the CCP after coming forward with serious 
sexual abuse allegations against a senior party member.
  After the world began speaking up for Peng, the CCP propaganda 
machine published false statements in her name. Rather than standing up 
for her, the IOC immediately issued public statements to validate this 
obvious disinformation and propaganda.
  Even more shocking, IOC president, Thomas Bach, participated in and 
publicized a staged conversation with Peng

[[Page H7507]]

that was supervised by a senior CCP member.
  Mr. Speaker, it is clear that Peng is neither free nor safe. Since 
the 2008 games, the Chinese Communist Party has become more repressive 
at home, more aggressive abroad, and has begun a genocide against 
China's most vulnerable minorities.
  When Olympians from all over the world travel to Beijing in February, 
they are trusting the IOC to keep them safe, but the IOC's recent 
actions have shown that they are not worthy of this trust. I commend 
this resolution for holding them accountable.
  In closing, I want to offer a heartfelt thanks to the Women's Tennis 
Association and its chairman, Steve Simon. Mr. Simon and the WTA have 
fought for Peng bravely in an inspiring display of moral clarity and 
support for our democratic values. Unfortunately, this is all too rare 
among those with financial ties to the CCP.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this measure, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  H. Res. 837, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
that Beijing should immediately guarantee the safety and freedom of 
tennis star Peng Shuai is a timely and urgent resolution.
  Peng's whereabouts and safety in China have been in question now for 
several weeks, and in just over 8 weeks, the Beijing Olympic Games are 
set to begin. There will be athletes from all over the world in 
attendance. This body owes it not to just to Peng, but to all the 
athletes participating in the Olympic Games to demonstrate that we do 
not take their safety and freedom for granted.
  The PRC must understand that its diplomatic and economic heft will 
not allow it to get away scot-free when it silences and erases 
individuals.
  While this resolution is about a single athlete, it is really about 
the innate dignity and freedom of every sexual assault survivor, human 
rights activist, environmental advocate, artist, journalist, and 
entrepreneur that has ever been beaten and broken by the Chinese 
Communist Party. We owe them our voice and our support.
  Let me, again, thank Congresswoman Wexton and Congressman Waltz for 
their work on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will join us in supporting 
this bill, and 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 agree to the resolution, H. Res. 837, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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