U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) last week commended action by the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a bill he cosponsored in his chamber to impose various restrictions related to China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and slapping sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations there.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s genocide against Uyghurs & Muslim minorities is sickening,” Sen. Cassidy tweeted on Dec. 16. “The United States must hold China accountable. Our bill bans forced labor products from entering the United States and imposes sanctions on those who profit from the forced labor of Uyghurs.”
The House on Dec. 8 voted 428-1 to approve H.R. 1155, introduced in February by U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) as the companion bill to the same-named S. 65, introduced in January by U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Rep. Cassidy signed on as a cosponsor to S. 65 in March and the Senate approved the bill in July by voice vote.
Sen. Cassidy worked to help secure U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passage.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act prohibits goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China or by entities using Uyghur forced labor from entering the United States market. The bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.