Political Quotes

“Madam President, today I would like to draw attention to a disturbing trend impacting the work of journalists in China. On January 30, 2014, New York Times reporter Austin Ramzy was forced to leave China due to processing delays for his press credentials. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. In 2013, Reporters Without Borders ranked China 173rd out of 179 countries in terms of press freedoms. Over the past year, we have seen China increase efforts to curb the work of foreign news organizations, including extended delays in processing journalist visas, restrictions on access to ``sensitive'' locations and individuals, pressure on local staff, blocked Web sites, and reports of cyber hacking of media organizations. To call attention to this suppression, I, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, along with subcommittee ranking member Marco Rubio, Senate Foreign Relations chairman Bob Menendez, and ranking member Bob Corker, introduced S. Res. 361. This resolution urges the People's Republic of China to take meaningful steps to improve freedom of expression in China as fitting of a responsible international stakeholder. The ongoing crackdown on journalists and members of the press reporting in China is of grave concern to me.…”