Human Rights

WASHINGTON – House Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern (MA-02) is calling for action on the 400+ bills, including more than 275 bipartisan bills, passed by the Democratic House Majority over the past year that are still awaiting action in the GOP-controlled Senate. “Last year, the American people elected a Democratic House Majority committed to making a difference in the lives of Massachusetts families,” said Congressman McGovern. “Democrats have delivered, passing key bills to lower pres... Read More »

WASHINGTON – Today, Representatives James P. McGovern (MA-2) and Ayanna Pressley (MA-7) introduced a new bill to provide additional resources for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. Full Text of the Legislation Available Here (PDF) One-Page Fact Sheet on the Legislation Available Here (PDF) Their bill, H.R. 5406, The Grandfamily Housing Act, would create a new, nationwide pilot program to provide funding to help grandparents raising their grandchildren access safe, affordable and a... Read More »

WORCESTER – Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, released this statement today following House Passage of the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response Act: “In the last year, Chinese authorities have expanded their network of mass internment camps, where it is now estimated that 1.8 million or more Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims have been involuntarily detained. “We now know from fir... Read More »

"Shutting down these flights is a stupid political stunt." Read More »

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed two major bills to stand in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong and to demand accountability from the government of Hong Kong following violent crackdowns against peaceful protesters. The full text of the bill is available Here Video of McGovern’s remarks prior to passage is available here H.R. 4270, the PROTECT Hong Kong Act, was introduced by Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) alongside Representatives Chris Smith (R-... Read More »

Says U.S. Policy Toward Cuba Hurts Both Economies Read More »

WASHINGTON – Today, Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), introduced H.R. 4270, the PROTECT Hong Kong Act – a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives to prohibit commercial exports of certain nonlethal crowd control items and defense articles and services to the Hong Kong Police Force. The full text of the bill is available here. “I am deeply concerned that American-made... Read More »

WORCESTER, MASS. – Today, Congressman James P. McGovern, Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and a leading congressional advocate for peace in Colombia, issued this statement strongly condemning news that some former FARC dissidents would abandon the Colombian peace process and return to arms: “Peace is the only path forward for Colombia. I am deeply disappointed that some misguided FARC dissident leaders have decided to return to arms. Their decision will only cause more death an... Read More »

"I look forward with hope to a transitional period that places the rights and aspirations of the Sudanese people front and center." Read More »

WASHINGTON – Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) will join Representatives Jackie Speier (D-CA), Filemon Vela (D-TX) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), and 16 other Democratic Members of Congress who are traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border near McAllen and Brownsville, Texas tomorrow, July 13th. Many of the members are returning to the site of an investigation last summer into the conditions and treatment of migrants at several Department of Homeland Security facilities. The Members will be briefed by ... Read More »