2021: Fitzpatrick Voted To Call On China To Provide Information Over
Olympian Peng Shuai's Whereabouts, Who Was Missing After Accusing A
Chinese Official Of Sexual Assault, Properly Investigate And Commit To
Holding Offenders Accountable. In December 2021, Fitzpatrick voted for
the resolution which would, according to Congressional Quarterly,
"express the sense of the House of Representatives that the actions of
China and the International Olympic Committee in relation to the
disappearance of Peng Shuai raise concerns regarding freedom of speech
and the safety of athletes participating in the 2022 Olympic and
Paralympic games in Beijing and the IOC's ability and willingness to
protect these athletes. Peng is a Chinese tennis player and three-time
Olympian who is missing after accusing a Chinese government official of
sexual assault. It would call on China to provide independent
information on Peng's whereabouts, investigate her allegations fairly
and transparently and publicly commit to holding perpetrators
accountable for sexual violence. It would urge the IOC to also publicly
call on China to undertake these actions." The vote was on passage. The
House passed the resolution by a vote of 428-0. [House Vote 413,
12/8/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/8/21;
Congressional Actions, H.Res.
837]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted To Condemn Genocide Against Uyghurs And Other
Ethnic And Religious Minorities In China And Encourage The United
Nations To Invoke Sanctions Against China. In December 2021,
Fitzpatrick voted for the resolution which would, according to
Congressional Quarterly, "state that the House of Representatives
condemns the ongoing abuses, genocide and crimes against humanity
against Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority
groups in the China, under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party.
It would call on the president to direct the U.S. representative to the
U.N. to take actions to refer the Chinese government to the U.N. for
investigation, lead efforts to invoke multilateral sanctions against
China and take all possible actions to end these human rights abuses and
hold perpetrators accountable under international law." The vote was on
passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 427-1. [House
Vote 414, 12/8/21;
Congressional Quarterly,
12/8/21; Congressional
Actions, H.Res.
317]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted To Allow The President To Impose Visa And
Property-Blocking Sanctions Against Foreign Individuals Involved In
Human Rights Violations. In April 2022, according to Congressional
Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted to concur in the Senate amendment to the
Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act, which in
part would "repeal a sunset date to indefinitely reauthorize the Global
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows the president to
impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against foreign persons
with respect to human rights violations." The vote was on a motion to
concur. The House concurred with the Senate by a vote of 420-3, thus the
bill was sent to the President and ultimately became law. [House Vote
124, 4/7/22;
Congressional Quarterly,
4/7/22; Congressional Actions,
H.R.
7108]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted To Allow The President To Impose Visa And
Property-Blocking Sanctions Against Foreign Individuals Involved In
Human Rights Violations. In March 2022, according to Congressional
Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted for the Suspending Normal Trade Relations
with Russia and Belarus Act, which in part would "expand and
indefinitely reauthorize the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act, allowing the president to impose visa- and
property-blocking sanctions against foreign persons with respect to
human rights violations, including to authorize sanctions against any
foreign person the president determines has directly or indirectly
engaged in 'serious human rights abuse;' is a current or former
government official, or is acting on the behalf of such an official, who
has directly or indirectly engaged in corruption or in the transfer of
proceeds of corruption; has led an entity engaged in such activities;
has materially assisted or supported such activities; or is controlled
by or has acted on behalf of a person subject to the sanctions." The
vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 424-8. The
bill was sent to the Senate, both chambers resolved differences, sent
the bill to the President, and ultimately became law. [House Vote 78,
3/17/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/17/22;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
7108]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted To Allow The President To Impose Visa And
Property-Blocking Sanctions Against Foreign Individuals Involved In
Human Rights Violations. In March 2022, according to Congressional
Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted for the Ending Importation of Russian Oil
Act, which would "expand and indefinitely reauthorize the Global
Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, allowing the president to
impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against foreign persons
with respect to human rights violations, including to authorize
sanctions against any foreign person the president determines has
directly or indirectly engaged in 'serious human rights abuse;' is a
current or former government official, or is acting on the behalf of
such an official, who has directly or indirectly engaged in corruption
or in the transfer of proceeds of corruption; has led an entity engaged
in such activities; has materially assisted or supported such
activities; or is controlled by or has acted on behalf of a person
subject to the sanctions." The vote was on passage. The House passed the
bill by a vote of 414-17, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. [House
Vote 70, 3/9/22;
Congressional Quarterly, 3/9/22;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
6968]
The Bill Required The President To Report On Additional Steps
Taken To Address Causes Of Human Rights Violations And Corruption In
Each Nation Where A Foreign Individual Was Subject To Such Sanctions
And Include The Methods Taken To Seek Judicial Accountability.
According to Congressional Quarterly, "It also would require the
president's annual report to Congress on such sanctions to describe
additional steps taken by the president to address persistent
underlying causes of serious human rights abuse and corruption in
each country where a foreign person is subject to the sanctions, as
well as steps taken to ensure the pursuit of judicial accountability
with respect to foreign persons sanctioned for serious human rights
abuse and corruption." [Congressional Quarterly,
3/9/22]
The Bill Enhanced Human Rights Violation Sanctions Against
Russia. According to Politico, "It also enhances human-rights
sanctions against Moscow." [Politico,
3/9/22]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted To Prohibit The Import Of Products Made In The
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Of China By Forced Labor And Impose
Sanctions Due To Human Rights Violations Against Muslim Minorities In
Xinjiang. In December 2021, Fitzpatrick voted for the Uyghur Forced
Labor Prevention Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly,
"prohibit the importation of all goods manufactured in the Xinjiang
Uyghur Autonomous Region of China or by persons working with the XUAR
government under certain manufacturing programs, unless U.S. Customs and
Border Protection certifies that the goods were not made by forced
labor. It would require the president to identify and impose asset
blocking and visa sanctions on all foreign persons that have knowingly
engaged in or facilitated forced labor of Muslim minority groups in the
region or contributed to efforts to contravene U.S. law prohibiting
importation from the region. It would require the interagency Forced
Labor Enforcement Task Force to develop an enforcement strategy to
address forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and forced
labor of Uyghurs or members of other persecuted groups in any part of
China. It would require the State Department to make a determination of
whether treatment of ethnic minorities in the XUAR constitute crimes
against humanity or genocide and develop a diplomatic strategy to
address forced labor in the region. It would also require U.S. traded
companies to make financial disclosures regarding their known engagement
with any entity that has been sanctioned for or engaged in activities
related to mass surveillance, detention facilities or forced labor in
the region." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a
vote of 428-1. [House Vote 412,
12/8/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/8/21;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1155]