Foreign Policy

September 14, 2018: McGovern Joins Congresswoman Barbara Lee in sending a bipartisan letter to President Trump urging him to consult with and obtain authorization from Congress before ordering any additional U.S. military action in Syria. July 13, 2017: McGovern on House Floor: "America Has Been At War for 16 Years and Speaker Ryan Refuses to Allow Congressional Oversight and Debate on Updated War Authorization" April 28, 2017: McGovern helps lead bipartisan Group of 46 Lawmakers calling on Spea... Read More »

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, issued this statement following threats by the Transitional Military Council against the peaceful movement in support of civilian government in Sudan: “When Sudan’s military ousted Omar al Bashir, it claimed to do so in support of the people and their demand for change, and for peace. But in the past few weeks, civilians have been kill... Read More »

Text of Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a bipartisan, bicameral group of 92 lawmakers led by Representative James McGovern (D-MA) and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Todd Young (R-IN), along with Representatives Ann Wagner (R-MO), Karen Bass (D-CA), and Chris Smith (R-NJ), sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin expressing deep concern about the current situation in Sudan and urging support for a rapid transfer of power to a civilian-l... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, issued the following statement in recognition of the 30th birthday of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibetan Buddhism: “Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama at the age of six on May 15, 1995. Two days later, the Chinese government forcibly disappear... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released this statement following the Trump Administration’s announcement that they would fully enforce Title III of the Helms-Burton Act: “Today’s announcement by the Trump Administration is just plain stupid. It undercuts the emerging private sector in Cuba, which the Trump Administration still pretends to support. It alienates... Read More »

WASHINGTON -- Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA) Chairman of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released the following statement after Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan imposed a yearlong state of emergency and dissolved the federal and state governments of Sudan on Friday, February 22: "For decades, Omar al-Bashir- who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity-has vi... Read More »

Today, Congressman James P. McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, together with a bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers, introduced new legislation to immediately stop all military sales and aid to the government of Saudi Arabia. The full text of the bill, H.R. 643. can be found here. McGovern introduced similar legislation in October, 2018 following the death of Saudi journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate... Read More »

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman James P. McGovern, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the U.S. House of Representatives, Chairman of the House Rules Committee, and a leading advocate of human rights around the world, strongly condemned the Guatemalan government’s attempt to unilaterally end the 2006 accord with the United Nations that established the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, known as CICIG. “Withdrawing from CICIG would be a grievous error on the... Read More »

Today, U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) celebrated the President's signature of a bill he authored and introduced in the House of Representatives: H.R. 1872, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act. The bill denies Chinese government officials access to the United States if they are responsible for creating or implementing restrictions on American government officials, journalists, independent observers and tourists seeking access to Tibet. “I’m glad that the President signed our bill, the Recipr... Read More »

NORTHAMPTON — Many Tibetans in western Massachusetts are pleased that a bill prohibiting Chinese officials responsible for limiting access to Tibet from entering the United States is one step closer to becoming law. The bipartisan Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, introduced by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, has passed Congress after receiving support from the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, and now awaits the signature of President Donald Trump. “We the local people here are very excited, so happy,” sai... Read More »