The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a resolution supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong after months of demonstrations and clashes with police that have squeezed the territory’s economy and tourism industry.
The resolution, that received just one “no” vote, came a day after the Senate unanimously approved its version of the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.” The two chambers are expected to quickly work out differences on the bill and send it along to President Trump, a move certain to anger Chinese leaders who have watched the Hong Kong protests with rising alarm.
The Hong Kong bills have attracted broad bipartisan support, including Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, and House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi. New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on Mr. Trump to “not waste any time in signing this critical bill into law.”
The protests in Hong Kong, which have turned violent on several occasions, began in earnest in June when Hong Kong’s Beijing-appointed city administrator pushed an extradition bill — since withdrawn — that critics said would put residents of Hong Kong at risk of being sent to China, where they could face justice in the mainland’s legal system.
The U.S. legislation would impose sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong and bar them from entering the U.S. It would also require the State Department to conduct an annual report on the territory’s autonomy from China.
In addition to angering China, the Hong Kong measures could complicate President Trump’s hopes of nailing down a new trade deal with China after more than a year of difficult negotiations.
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