Dharamshala: President of the Central Tibetan Administration, Dr Lobsang Sangay, today called upon the Tibetan people in the U.S. to lobby the Congresspersons and Senators of their respective constituencies by urging them to co-sponsor the Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2019 (H.R. 4331).
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affair is set to hold a markup session, a process by which a U.S. congressional committee debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation on the Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2019 (H.R. 4331).
Built on the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019 was introduced in the US House on 13 September 2019 by Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and introduced in the Senate on 24 September by the commission’s Co-Chair Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). The bill has already 30 bipartisan co-sponsors.
If passed, the bill would impose sanctions on any Chinese officials who interfere in the process of recognizing the successor or reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama. It would recognize the Central Tibetan Administration as the legitimate representative reflecting the aspirations of Tibetan people around the world and support the democratic governance of the Tibetan community in exile and authorize the ongoing U.S. appropriations to support Tibetans in Tibet and South Asia. The bill further mandates that there should be no new Chinese consulates in the U.S. unless a U.S consulate in Lhasa is established.
The Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019 also introduces new key provisions aimed at protecting Tibet’s environment and rivers and promoting greater cooperation to mitigate the effects of climate change in Tibet.
The CTA President visited Washington DC in September and November this year to lobby the Congress and Senate for the Tibetan Policy Act and Support 2019. He met with 21 Senators and Congresspersons, including Senator Mitt Romney, Senator James Risch, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Tom Cotton, Senator Josh Hawley, Senator Steve Daines, Senator Thom Tillis, Senator Pat Toomey, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Jim McGovern, Congressman Andy Levin, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Congressman David Price, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Congressman Ted Yoho, Congressman Gerry Connolly, Congressman Ron Wright and Congressman Tim Burchett.
As the holiday season draws near, the CTA President appealed to every Tibetan in the U.S. to spare a moment to call, e-mail or schedule a meeting with their respective congresspersons and senators and urge them to co-sponsor, support, and vote for the Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2019 (H.R. 4331).