[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3372-H3375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD PRIORITIZE SECURING THE RELEASE OF PASTOR JIN MINGRI, PASTOR GAO
QUANFU AND HIS WIFE PANG YU, DR. GULSHAN ABBAS, AND JIMMY LAI DETAINED
BY THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA DURING FUTURE ENGAGEMENTS WITH CHINESE
PRESIDENT XI JINPING
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1259) expressing the sense of the
House of Representatives that the President should prioritize securing
the release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang
Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai detained by the People's Republic
of China during future engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1259
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China
has arrested Chinese, American, and British citizens for the
peaceful expression of speech or religion, or such acts by
family members;
Whereas such arrests have been widely condemned by the
international community and human rights organizations, with
repeated calls for the release of the detainees;
Whereas, on May 17, 2025, Pastor Gao Quanfu of the Light of
Zion Church in Xi'an Province was detained and is being held
on charges of ``using superstitious activities to undermine
the implementation of law'' and ``fraud'';
Whereas Pastor Gao's wife, Pang Yu, who was subsequently
detained on June 7, 2025, remains held despite holding no
official position in the church, and has been denied access
to critical prescription medication;
Whereas, on or about October 10, 2025, authorities of the
People's Republic of China detained Pastor Jin Mingri,
founder of Zion Church, along with other church leaders, on
equally dubious charges of ``illegal use of information
networks'';
Whereas Pastor Jin continues to be detained without access
to critical medications to treat diabetes or contact with
family members in the People's Republic of China and the
United States;
Whereas, on November 7, 2025, the Senate unanimously passed
Senate Resolution 463, calling for the ``immediate and
unconditional release of all detained members of Zion Church,
including Pastor Jin'' and for the Government of the People's
Republic of China to end ``harassment and intimidation of the
relatives of Zion church members and their relatives'';
Whereas Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor and
grandmother, was forcibly disappeared on September 11, 2018,
shortly after her sister, a United States citizen, publicly
criticized the treatment of Uyghurs by the Government of the
People's Republic of China;
Whereas Dr. Abbas was later sentenced to 20 years following
secret proceedings on charges that independent observers and
human rights organizations have characterized as politically
motivated;
Whereas the prolonged detention of Dr. Abbas raises grave
concerns regarding her health, wellbeing, and access to due
process, as she suffers from severe high blood pressure and
osteoporosis, among other conditions;
Whereas, in 1995, Jimmy Lai founded the Apple Daily
newspaper in Hong Kong and subsequently faced repeated
harassment and arrest, including a 69 month sentence in 2022,
on dubious fraud charges and a subsequent 20 year sentence in
February 2026, on equally dubious national security charges;
Whereas, in December 2025, President Donald Trump said he
had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to consider releasing
Jimmy Lai;
Whereas, on December 4, 2025, House Resolution 930 was
introduced commemorating Jimmy Lai and calling on authorities
of the People's Republic of China to ``immediately and
unconditionally release Jimmy Lai and all other Hong Kong
pro-democracy advocates unjustly imprisoned'';
Whereas, on September 11, 2025, the House introduced the
``FREEDOM for Gao Zhisheng and All Political Prisoners Act'',
which would strengthen United States diplomatic efforts to
advocate for the release of unjustly detained political
prisoners in the People's Republic of China and in Hong Kong
by requiring a coordinated strategy for political-prisoner
advocacy and encouraging the use of available accountability
tools against officials responsible for arbitrary detention
and other human rights abuses; and
Whereas addressing individual cases of wrongful detention
has historically been an important component of United States
diplomacy, reflects longstanding bipartisan commitments to
political and religious freedoms, and is an important factor
in United States bilateral relations: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) calls upon the President to prioritize securing the
humanitarian release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu
and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, Jimmy Lai, and other
unjustly detained individuals on the agenda for engagements
with President Xi Jinping, including the anticipated May 2026
summit;
(2) urges the President to seek verifiable proof of life
and access to independent legal counsel, family
communication, and medical care for such detainees; and
(3) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to defend
political and religious freedom and advocate for the release
of those unjustly detained for exercising such fundamental
freedoms.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Olszewski) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, I, like many in the House and the Senate, want to
thank President Trump for requesting on numerous occasions that Xi
Jinping release Jimmy Lai and other women and men who are gravely sick
and unjustly incarcerated.
It is not largely known, but hundreds of innocent Americans languish
in Chinese prisons today, including Nelson Wells of New Orleans and
Dawn Michelle Hunt from Chicago. At a hearing that I chaired in
September of 2024, Bringing Home Americans Detained in China, we heard
heartbreaking stories from their families and their loved ones.
According to the Foley Foundation, more United States nationals are
wrongfully detained in China than in any other country. I have
introduced legislation to create a comprehensive strategy to try to
obtain their release.
H. Res. 1259 speaks to this issue of unjustly detained individuals.
It is about Pastor Ezra Jin, founder of the Zion Church, detained and
denied needed medical care. It is about Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife,
Pang Yu, detained for peaceful religious leadership. It is about
Gulshan Abbas, serving a 20-year sentence because her sister, Rushan
Abbas, dared to tell Congress the truth about the CCP's genocide
against the Uyghurs. I alone, and she has testified before other
committees, have had Rushan Abbas testify three different times. She is
eloquent. She is nonviolent and just wants her sister returned home to
be safe.
The CCP has imprisoned one sister in this case in order to silence
another, and that is hostage taking plain and simple.
Of course, this resolution is about Jimmy Lai, the courageous founder
of Apple Daily imprisoned because he defended freedom of the press,
democracy, and the rule of law in Hong Kong.
His son, Sebastien Lai, testified in 2023 at a hearing that I chaired
of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. When he was done I
said: You know, you are a chip off the old block. You are so persuasive
and so full of goodness just like your father.
He did tell us that his father was refusing to be silenced and still
speaking truth to power and that he may die in prison. That testimony,
Madam Speaker, should haunt us and move us to action.
I would remind my colleagues that some years ago, working with
Speaker
[[Page H3373]]
Pelosi, we were able to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy
Act. Unfortunately, it has only gotten worse since then. Yes, sanctions
have been meted out, but unfortunately, Xi Jinping has incarcerated the
best, the bravest, and the brightest in all of China.
Jimmy Lai should not spend one more night in a Hong Kong prison. He
is a man of total nonviolence. He used the power of the pen to try to
persuade and to admonish.
Like Sebastien, Jimmy Lai's daughter, Claire, has bravely,
tenaciously, and prayerfully advocated for her father's release. Claire
told the Associated Press last December that her dad just wants to
reunite with his family. He wants to dedicate his life, what is left of
it, to serving our Lord, and he wants to dedicate the rest of his days
to his family.
Claire has met with many, many House and Senate Members. She sat
right up there during the State of the Union Address. She has met with
Members. I was with her for much of that time. She was with the
Speaker, and she was just so gracious. She exudes compassion, and she
radiates kindness. All that she and Sebastien are asking for is that
their father be released. We know President Trump is going to raise
that face-to-face with Xi Jinping.
I would remind my colleagues that I have been in this body for 46
years and have worked on the release of political prisoners all over
the world starting in the Soviet Union. We have always found out that
when the United States names prisoners, it works. Reagan did it all the
time. Secretary of State Shultz said specific names, and many of those
people were released when they were advocated for.
It can also help secure access to lawyers, family, and medical care,
and it can save lives. Again, it can lead to releases.
{time} 1710
I note, parenthetically, because I work on Belarus all the time,
about 500 prisoners have been released due to the advocacy and
intervention of the President. That is amazing. It does work, and he is
trying to do it now as he heads over to China.
It matters. It matters to their families. It matters to every
prisoner languishing in a cell because he or she dare to pray, publish,
speak, worship, or advocate for fundamental human rights and freedoms.
It matters to the Chinese Communist Party because autocrats listen
when the President of the United States names names.
Silence is not an option. Silence tells the jailer no one is
watching. Silence tells the prisoner the world has moved on, turned the
page. Silence tells Beijing that hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans,
and transnational repression can be normalized.
It can't be normalized. We will not be silent, and we pray and hope
that the President is successful.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res.
1259, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the
President should prioritize securing the release of Pastor Ezra Jin;
Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife, Pang Yu; as well as Dr. Gulshan Abbas;
and Jimmy Lai, all of whom, Madam Speaker, have been detained by the
People's Republic of China. We encourage him to take this approach
during his upcoming talks with President Xi Jinping.
I also thank my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his
longstanding leadership on this important issue.
President Trump's trip, Madam Speaker, is an opportunity for him to
confront Beijing not only on economic issues but also on its deeply
troubling human rights record, including its suppression of free speech
and its ongoing persecution of religious and ethnic minorities.
Whether it is prodemocracy advocates in Hong Kong, Uyghurs, or
members of the Christian Zion Church, Beijing has imprisoned far too
many individuals simply for practicing their faith or exercising their
fundamental right of free speech.
Across China, underground churches are raided; pastors, like Pastor
Jin, are surveilled; congregations are harassed; and believers are
detained simply for worshipping outside state control.
Pastor Jin's wife, despite having no direct role in the church, has
also been arrested without cause and denied access to all necessary
medical care.
Uyghurs, like Dr. Abbas, face mass internment, forced labor, and
egregious human rights abuses that our own government has declared a
genocide.
Journalists, like Jimmy Lai, who have shown fearless activism and
extraordinary courage in defense of a free press, are imprisoned for
speaking the truth, including reporting on Beijing's democracy
crackdown in Hong Kong.
Mr. Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison. This is the most
excessive sentence that China has ever given for this so-called
offense. Yet, unlike prior U.S. administrations that recognize the
clear link between human rights and our own security and prosperity,
the Trump administration has not meaningfully engaged on China's
troubling human rights abuses and too often has failed to forcefully
raise these issues in high-level bilateral engagements with Beijing.
That must change.
I call on President Trump to reverse this trend and to make securing
the release of all the individuals named a central objective in his
upcoming meeting with President Xi.
This resolution reflects a strong bipartisan consensus in Congress on
the importance of securing the release of these brave individuals.
President Xi is hoping the war in Iran and our trade objectives with
Beijing will distract our focus away from China's human rights abuses,
but we need to be clear that the U.S. cannot take the pressure off of
Beijing on these critical issues. China cannot be allowed to continue
its repression of religious communities, ethnic minorities, Hong
Kongers, or the press with impunity.
Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support this measure, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), the chairwoman
of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific.
Mrs. KIM. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for yielding.
I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1259. This resolution sends a
very clear message: The United States will not be silent while the
Chinese Communist Party continues to detain, torture, and disappear
innocent people, including family members of American citizens.
These individuals are not criminals. They are pastors, doctors,
publishers, and brave voices who have been targeted simply because they
threaten the CCP's fabricated narrative and grip on power.
Under the CCP's rule, there has been ample evidence of modern-day
concentration camps in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs and other ethnic and
religious minorities face genocide because of their language, culture,
and beliefs.
In Hong Kong, the National Security Law and Article 23 have crushed
basic freedoms. Jimmy Lai, the courageous founder of Apple Daily, has
now spent over 5 years imprisoned. In February of this year, he was
sentenced to an additional 20 years in prison, which is essentially a
life sentence. At 78 years old, his health is deteriorating, and his
case is a symbol of Beijing's assault on the rule of law and basic
human rights.
The CCP's unrelenting persecution campaign and coercion do not stop
at Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Around the world, Tibetans, Falun Gong
practitioners, Christians, and prodemocracy voices are under threat.
As President Trump prepares to engage directly with Xi Jinping this
week, we urge for the prioritization of the immediate and unconditional
release of Pastor Jin Mingri; Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife, Pang Yu;
Dr. Gulshan Abbas; Jimmy Lai; and all others justly detained.
Several of these individuals have family members who are U.S.
citizens. Their loved ones here at home deserve answers and action.
I commend President Trump for always putting America first and
demonstrating strength and resolve on the world stage.
We reject the CCP's reign of terror. We stand with every freedom-
loving people in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, and across China who
dreams of a day when faith is not a crime and truth is not censored.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and
[[Page H3374]]
I urge the administration to make the release of these individuals a
priority in engaging with Beijing.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker Emerita.
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Mr. Olszewski--
Johnny O. as we call him--for his leadership and his beautiful
statement on what we are challenged with right now and how this
legislation addresses that.
I always want to praise Mr. Smith for his leadership on human rights
throughout the world. We have been working on these things for 30 years
probably--he is not paying attention--but 30 years with Frank Wolf
going and visiting people in prison and trying to make sure people
knew.
They say that these autocrats--the President of China for one--the
most horrible form of torture that they can put on a prisoner is to
tell them nobody even remembers them or cares about them or even knows
why they are in prison. That is why I thank you both for bringing this
legislation to the floor so that we on the floor of the House of
Representatives can make sure that they know they are not forgotten.
I rise today in strong support of this resolution calling on the
President to prioritize the release of these courageous individuals who
have been unjustly detained by the government of the People's Republic
of China simply for exercising their fundamental human rights.
{time} 1720
Jimmy Lai sits in prison because he dared to defend democracy and a
free press in Hong Kong. Mr. Smith talked about Jimmy and his son,
Sebastien, and his daughter, Claire. Now they have a grandbaby in the
family, and Jimmy, of course, is not able to see the baby while they
torture him in prison.
Then Dr. Gulshan Abbas has disappeared because of Beijing's
repression of Uyghurs. She is there because of what her sister has
testified to us, Mr. Smith mentioned, and that is engaging in
transnational human rights suppression.
In addition to that, Christian pastors and their families are
persecuted simply for worshiping freely.
Jin Mingri, we heard about him; Pastors Gao Quanfu and Pang Yu, we
have heard about them. Pastor Gao Quanfu and Pang Yu, and Dr. Abbas--I
talked about Dr. Gulshan Abbas.
I want to just say that this has always been bipartisan and
bicameral, House and Senate. Democrats and Republicans always come
together on these pieces of legislation. I want to call special
attention to what our Speaker Johnson did a few months ago. He was
invited to address the House of Commons in this our bicentennial year
of our country. I asked him if he would mention Jimmy Lai in his
speech, and he did. He told me it got a good response. We thank the
Speaker for making that appeal to the House of Commons.
Here, this resolution makes sure that human rights cannot be
separated from America's engagement with China. The release of these
individuals must remain a priority at the highest level of diplomacy.
While the President is on his visit there, he is bringing with him a
long list of business leaders. I have to say if we do not speak out for
human rights in China because of commercial interests, then we lose all
moral authority to speak out for human rights anywhere in the world.
With this resolution, the House reaffirms that America will continue
to stand for freedom, human rights, and the principles that no person
should be imprisoned simply for what they believe. Let's make this a
strong, as always, bipartisan vote. I thank the chairman, Mr. Smith. I
thank Johnny O, and I urge a strong bipartisan vote in support of the
resolution.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Suozzi), who is the co-chair of the Uyghur Caucus.
Mr. SUOZZI. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my friend Chris
Smith's resolution to encourage our President while in China to push
for the release of political prisoners of the Chinese Communist Party.
First is Dr. Gulshan Abbas. Dr. Gulshan is a minority Muslim in the
Xinjiang region of China, a Uyghur who has been imprisoned for 8 years
for the crime of being a practicing Muslim and as retribution for her
sister's human rights advocacy. Even before I started the Congressional
Uyghur Caucus in 2021, I have been fighting alongside Gulshan's U.S.
citizen sister, Rushan Abbas, and U.S. citizen daughter, Ziba, and
other family members to free this innocent woman.
Second, Pastor Jin Mingri, a man of tremendous faith, who was
imprisoned for the crime of leading a powerful Christian movement in
Beijing. He and other Christian leaders in China are the victims of the
Chinese Communist Party's war on faith.
In anticipation of the summit, we cosponsored a bipartisan and
bicameral letter with over 30 Members of the House and Senate calling
for the release of Pastor Jin and other leaders of his church. Pastor
Jin's U.S. citizen daughter, Grace, has been an inspiration, as have
been the messages coming from Pastor Jin.
Jimmy Lai is a remarkable man imprisoned for the crime of journalism.
I met Jimmy Lai here in our Nation's Capital in 2019 as he fought
against the corruption and human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist
Party. As he fought with peaceful protest in favor of democracy in the
face of brutal repression in Hong Kong, he wanted me to encourage
student protesters in Hong Kong to remain peaceful and practice
nonviolence. Instead of me advocating for the students to remain
peaceful in their protest, I enlisted the help of one of America's
great civil rights icons, John Lewis.
Congressman Lewis joined me in a video message that was viewed by
millions of people throughout the world. John Lewis reminded us all to
practice ``peace, love, and nonviolence to change things.'' He told us
to respect the dignity and worth of every human being.
Now Jimmy Lai, 78 years old and in failing health, has been
wrongfully imprisoned since 2020 and is sentenced to 20 years more. His
daughter, Claire, and son, Sebastien, have done heroic work to have
their ailing father released.
Now we need the Chinese Communist Party to heed the message of John
Lewis and so many others to respect the dignity and worth of every
human being and release Dr. Gulshan Abbas, Pastor Jin Mingri, Jimmy
Lai, and every other person who has been wrongfully imprisoned and to
change the dynamic between our two countries. This resolution
encourages our President to make this release a priority on this trip.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentleman from New York.
Mr. SUOZZI. We urge the Chinese Communist Party to stop defending the
indefensible and enhance China's standing in the world by working with
President Trump to finally get this done.
Mr. OLSZEWSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time
for the purpose of closing.
Madam Speaker, there is broad, bipartisan consensus as we heard today
in this body that the U.S. must, once again, apply pressure and use
leverage to hold China accountable for its human rights abuses,
persecution of minorities, journalists, and Hong Kongers, and force it
to release those whom they have been wrongfully imprisoned.
This week is an opportunity for President Trump to press President Xi
on these issues during their summit.
This resolution calls on President Trump to make central in his
negotiations the release of Pastor Jin; Pastor Gao Quanfu, and his
wife, Pang Yu; Dr. Gulshan Abbas; and Jimmy Lei.
Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in
supporting H. Res. 1259, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of
my time.
Madam Speaker, I thank my friends on the other side of the aisle. I
thank Mr. Olszewksi for his kind words on behalf of this important
resolution and Speaker Pelosi and Tom Suozzi. We worked together very,
very closely on the Uyghurs, and I thank him for his strong statement,
and of course, Young Kim, as eloquent as she always is.
[[Page H3375]]
There is a great deal of support for Jimmy Lai.
As we all know, he is 78. He got a 20-year prison sentence on top of
the 5 he has already served. It is a death sentence. He is not well. He
has a number of maladies that are affecting his health. We know, and
the Speaker will remember, when Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize
winner, when he was gravely sick, the Chinese Communist Party would not
even let him get the medical attention that he required. We don't want
a deja vu on that ever.
He needs to be released to his family so he can get the very
necessary healthcare and to, in these final years, enjoy his amazing
family and to be celebrated, frankly, for the great man that he is.
Senator Rick Scott and I did a letter last week which kind of summed
it all up. One hundred of our colleagues signed on to it.
In part it said:
The humanitarian case for Mr. Lai's freedom is urgent and
undeniable. He is a devout Catholic and successful
entrepreneur who has already spent 5 years in detention, much
of it in solitary confinement. His health has declined in
custody, and prolonged isolation and inadequate prison
conditions only increase the risk of permanent harm.
Mr. President, we greatly appreciated that you have
discussed the case of Jimmy Lai with Xi Jinping before. We
know you have pledged to do it again.
We are hoping that the appeal will be heard by Xi Jinping himself:
Search deep in your heart.
Why continue to repress this absolutely amazing man who should be
getting the Nobel Peace Prize, not a prison sentence?
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to finally get this done, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1730
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1259.
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. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________