'The CCP's restrictions on freedom of religion and cruelty toward religious minorities in China must come to an end,' Sen. Ted Budd says.
A group of Republican lawmakers has introduced a bicameral bill that would impose strict sanctions on Chinese officials connected to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) persecution of religious groups.
Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) led the legislative effort in introducing the Combatting the Persecution of Religious Groups in China Act on Oct. 27, which marked the 26th anniversary of International Religious Freedom Day.
"As the leader of the free world, the United States must promote religious freedom around the world and hold China's authoritarian regime responsible for decades of persecution targeting Christians and other religious minorities.
"The CCP's restrictions on freedom of religion and cruelty toward religious minorities in China must come to an end."
The legislation would strengthen the State Department's efforts to combat the ongoing persecution of religious minorities in China, including Protestant Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners.
Congress should also call on Beijing to "unconditionally release all unjustly detained religious and political prisoners," as well as to ensure that current detainees are "treated humanely," including access to independent medical care, according to the bill.
Reps. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), and Michael McCaul (R-Texas) cosponsored the companion legislation in the House.
In May 2023, a senior State Department official called the Chinese regime "one of the worst abusers of human rights and religious freedom in the world" as the department released its annual report on international religious freedom.