CASTRO, MEIJER INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS CHINA’S CENSORSHIP OF AMERICANS
WASHINGTON — Congressman Castro (TX-20), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Meijer (MI-3) introduced legislation to monitor and address China’s censorship and intimidation strategies affecting Americans and American businesses. This legislation is the House counterpart to a Senate bill introduced by Senators Jeff Merkley, Marco Rubio, Elizabeth Warren, and John Cornyn.
“Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right — the People’s Republic of China is weaponizing access to its domestic economy to restrict the ability of Americans to freely express themselves,” said Congressman Castro. From Hollywood and the National Basketball Association to U.S. hotels and airlines, China’s bullying of Americans with intimidation and censorship is unacceptable and must be held accountable. This bill would ensure that the United States exposes China’s efforts to exchange fair market access for coerced public silence, holding the Chinese government and private actors accountable for their actions.”
“China’s attempts to censor and intimidate Americans for speaking the truth is an affront to everything the United States stands for. This legislation is a necessary step to protect Americans and American businesses from Chinese economic coercion,” said Congressman Meijer. I’m pleased to join Congressman Castro in leading this critical effort in the House.”
The legislation would require the President to establish the China Censorship Monitor and Action Group, an interagency task force to oversee the development and execution of a strategy to better understand and respond to China’s censorship of Americans and American companies. The task force would create an annual report, complete congressional briefings, and be chaired by the National Security Council staff, and include a vice chair from the National Economic Council and representation from a broad range of U.S. government agencies.
The bill will also require a nonpartisan research organization to develop a report detailing major trends, patterns, and methods of China’s censorship and intimidation, and their effects on the American people. This information is vital to crafting best practices for American businesses, the U.S. government, and individual Americans.
Full text of the legislation is available here.
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