Question of the Week: China

These questions are culled from phone calls, letters, faxes and e-mails sent to Rep. Gallegly's Camarillo, Solvang, and Washington offices. Each week Rep. Gallegly adds another question and answer. Please add your comments.

November 4, 2011

Question: Why did you Chair a hearing on China in the House Immigration Policy and Enforcement Subcommittee this week?

Answer: As the Chairman of the House Immigration Policy and Enforcement Subcommittee, I called a hearing on H.R. 2121, the China Democracy Promotion Act of 2011, because I am concerned about certain human rights issues in China.

I recognize that China is one of our largest trading partners and that maintaining good relations is important to our economy and national security. At the same time, however, we continue to document serious and widespread human rights abuses, including the infamous one-child policy, which results in forced abortions and practices such as infanticide. There is strong, bipartisan agreement that the U.S. should continue to encourage the Chinese government to institute democratic reforms and crack down on human rights abuses.

To send an unequivocal message that those who participate in heinous human rights violations are not welcome in the United States, H.R. 2121, which was introduced by Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, would give the President authority to deny entry to the United States to any person who:

• Holds senior leadership positions in the Chinese government and their immediate family members;
• Benefits financially from policies or actions that undermine democracy;
• Has participated in the imposition of the coercive birth limitation policy; or,
• Has participated in other human rights violations.

For more information on this hearing, please go to the Judiciary Committee's hearing page.

For previous Questions of the Week chronologically and by topic, please see my Questions of the Week page.