¶ Establishing Policy And Special Coordinator Position
2022: Schweikert Voted To Establish A Special Coordinator Position For Uyghur Issues, Who Would Promote The Protection Of Uyghur Culture And Identity And Work With Uyghur Leaders And Foreign Countries To Protect Uyghur Human Rights And Religious Freedom. In December 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for the Uyghur Policy Act of 2021, which would "establish a special coordinator position for Uyghur issues within the State Department to promote the protection and preservation of Uyghur culture and identity. It would require the coordinator to, among other tasks, maintain close contact with Uyghur leaders and establish contacts in foreign countries to pursue a policy of protecting Uyghur human rights and religious freedom." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 407-17. The Senate did not take substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 494, 12/1/22; Congressional Quarterly, 12/1/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4785]
- The Bill Would Have Provided $250K Annually Through FY 2024 For Human Rights Activists To Discuss Uyghur Issues At Public Diplomacy Forums, Making Uyghur Language Training Available For Foreign Services Officers, And Encourage China To Open The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region To Visits From The Press And U.S. Representatives. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Among other provisions, the bill would authorize $250,000 annually through fiscal 2024 for human rights advocates to speak at public diplomacy forums regarding Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in China; require Uyghur language training to be available to Foreign Services officers as appropriate; and call on the Chinese government to open the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to regular, transparent and unmanipulated visits by the press and U.S. government representatives and to cease government-sponsored detentions of people in the region based on their ethnic, cultural, political or religious identity." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/1/22]