Political Quotes

“Madam President, I would like to comment on the Hong Kong legislation that we passed this week. Tuesday night, the Senate unanimously passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, led by Senators Rubio and Cardin, Foreign Relations Chairman Risch, and Ranking Member Menendez, and a supporting cast of colleagues. This bill is intended to spur Hong Kong officials and pro-Beijing constituencies to protect Hong Kong's autonomy and its special relationship with the United States and to hold those committing human rights violations in Hong Kong accountable. It builds on the 1992 United States-Hong Kong Policy Act, which asserts that the United States has a ``strong interest in the continued vitality, prosperity, and stability of Hong Kong.'' I am grateful for the leadership of the Senators who worked to advance this bill. The issue at hand is Hong Kong's right to an independent judicial system and its unique status in a one-country, two-system construct. The bill that spurred the June protests in Hong Kong--a bill pushed by the communist Chinese central government that sought to impose extraditions from Hong Kong to mainland China--would have directly undercut this judicial independence. This bill has been withdrawn, but a number of other grievances have boiled over into protests. Hong Kong's autonomy is under attack, and China is posturing to ``mainlandize'' their economy.…”