Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 138, the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 138, the Senate companion bill to the bipartisan House bill, H.R. 533, which the House passed this February. My good friend from Massachusetts, Representative McGovern, and Chairman McCaul introduced H.R. 533, and I was proud to support its passage out of committee and on the floor last year. I am glad the Senate has followed suit so we can get to this important legislation that addresses Beijing's severe and ongoing repression of the Tibetan people signed into law. For too long, Beijing has oppressed the Tibetan people and failed to honor its commitments to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama and his representatives regarding Tibet's future. We are deeply concerned by Beijing's systematic efforts to erase the distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity of the Tibetan people. In a new effort to stamp out Tibetan identity, Beijing is closing local schools and uprooting children from their families by placing them in centralized Chinese boarding schools far from home. This is effectively preventing Tibetan parents and communities from passing down their language and heritage to the next generation. This forced assimilation has raised significant concerns from multiple U.N.…”