H.Res. 953: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of the People's Republic of China has violated internationally recognized human rights and legal due process standards by carrying out executions after trials marred by procedural abuses and by carrying out arbitrary detentions targeting Uyghurs and other individuals in Xinjiang in the aftermath of a suppressed demonstration and ensuing mob violence on July 5 to 7, 2009.

H.Res. 953: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of the People's Republic of China has violated internationally recognized human rights and legal due process standards by carrying out executions after trials marred by procedural abuses and by carrying out arbitrary detentions targeting Uyghurs and other individuals in Xinjiang in the aftermath of a suppressed demonstration and ensuing mob violence on July 5 to 7, 2009.

111th Congress · introduced 2009-12-08 · International Affairs · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-12-08 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-3] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of the People's Republic of China has violated internationally recognized human rights and legal due process standards by carrying out executions after trials marred by procedural abuses and by carrying out arbitrary detentions targeting Uyghurs and other individuals in Xinjiang in the aftermath of a suppressed demonstration and ensuing mob violence on July 5 to 7, 2009.

Plain summary

Condemns any violence against innocent individuals regardless of their ethnicity, gender, or religious beliefs. Calls on the government of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to: (1) desist from further executions based on trials that violate human rights and due process standards; (2) allow international observers and the media to attend such trials; (3) provide a list of individuals detained in the aftermath of the July 2009 events in Xinjiang to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the public; and (4) cease all crackdowns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Calls on the President of the United States to: (1) state the strong U.S. opposition to these legally flawed trials and executions; (2) raise human rights concerns publicly and in all meetings with Chinese officials; (3) restate U.S. interest to open consulates in Lhasa, Tibet, and in Urumqi, Xinjiang; and (4) direct the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to automatically request permission from Chinese authorities for Embassy staff to observe trials if credible reasons exist that such trials may not meet human rights and legal standards.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of the People's Republic of China has violated internationally recognized human rights and legal due process standards by carrying out executions after trials marred by procedural abuses and by carrying out arbitrary detentions targeting Uyghurs and other individuals in Xinjiang in the aftermath of a suppressed demonstration and ensuing mob violence on July 5 to 7, 2009.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-3] · 12 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-3] reported raising $1.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote: A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111hres953.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hres>

Record fed-us-cong111-hres953 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111