Human Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern (D-MA) today opened debate on the rule for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This urgently needed legislation will help crush the coronavirus, return children safely to the classroom, get vaccines to the people, put dollars into families’ pockets, and put people back to work. Consideration of this bill on the House Floor today comes after committees spent more than 100 hours debating more than 400 amendments. Chairman McGovern’s r... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan bill that would prohibit the importation of goods made with forced labor in China was introduced today by Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with Chris Smith (R-NJ), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA). The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act would create a “... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman James P. McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and a leading congressional advocate for human rights, issued the following statement on the military coup d’état in Burma (Myanmar) and the related detention of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyii, President U Win Myint and an unknown number of other civilians: “I am appalled but not surprised by the Burmese Armed Forces’ (Tatmadaw) brazen attack on democracy in Burma. The military’s illegitimate seizure of al... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan bill to support the human rights and religious freedom of the Tibetan people – written by Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China – is set to become law after being included in the omnibus spending package agreement just passed by Congress. Full Text of the Bill (PDF) The bill updates the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 to address the ongoing oppression of the Tibetan people by the ... Read More »

McGovern Helped Expose Brutal Murders Were Carried Out by U.S.-Backed Military Units; Verdict Marks Turning Point in Decades-Long Struggle for Justice Read More »

WASHINGTON – Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and a leading congressional advocate for human rights, issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to impose sanctions on two leading officials of the International Criminal Court: “Today the Trump Administration has once again undermined American leadership on human rights and isolated our country on the world stage. The decision to sanction the chief prose... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and a leading congressional advocate for human rights at home and abroad, released his rebuttal to the draft report of the Trump administration’s Commission on Unalienable Rights. The congressman’s submission was joined by Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), a member of the House Judiciary Committee. “The Commission’s draft report is radically incomplete and thoroughly inadequate as a guide to... Read More »

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives has passed, as part of the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act, an amendment which requires the release of Department of Defense documents related to the 1981 El Mozote massacre to judicial authorities in El Salvador. The amendment was introduced by Jim McGovern (D-MA), who serves as Chairman of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, as well as Eliot Engel, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committe... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and a leading congressional advocate for human rights at home and abroad, has called on the government of Bahrain to free Mohamed Ramadan and Hussein Moosa. The two men were convicted and sentenced to death in 2014 on terrorism charges, despite stating they were tortured and sexually assaulted to force a confession. “Mohamed Ramadan and Hussein Moosa were tortured and that means their conv... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and Mark Pocan (D-WI), Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, led a group of 94 Members of Congress urging Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to press the Colombian government to commit to peace and stop the escalation of violence against Colombian human rights defenders. Since a 2016 peace accord brought an end to decades of con... Read More »