H.Res. 543: Recognizing Hong Kong's bilateral relationship with the United States, condemning the People's Republic of China for violating their obligations to the people of Hong Kong, and supporting the people of Hong Kong's right to freedom of assembly and peaceful protest.

H.Res. 543: Recognizing Hong Kong's bilateral relationship with the United States, condemning the People's Republic of China for violating their obligations to the people of Hong Kong, and supporting the people of Hong Kong's right to freedom of assembly and peaceful protest.

116th Congress · introduced 2019-08-30 · International Affairs · Latest: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-08-30 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-30] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection. 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

Recognizing Hong Kong's bilateral relationship with the United States, condemning the People's Republic of China for violating their obligations to the people of Hong Kong, and supporting the people of Hong Kong's right to freedom of assembly and peaceful protest.

Plain summary

This resolution calls on the Hong Kong government to begin negotiations with protesters to address their five central demands, including the formal withdrawal of the extradition bill that prompted the protests and the complete implementation of universal adult suffrage. It also condemns (1) the Hong Kong government's use of force against the demonstrators, (2) the government's characterizations of the protests as "riots" and attempts to blame the United States for the city's political situation, and (3) Chinese state media for targeting staff and family members of the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. (Hong Kong is a part of China but has a mostly separate legal system, which includes protection for civil liberties including freedom from arbitrary imprisonment. Protests sprung up in opposition to the introduction of an extradition bill that critics say would allow extradition to jurisdictions that do not have such protections, in particular mainland China.)

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

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

Recognizing Hong Kong's bilateral relationship with the United States, condemning the People's Republic of China for violating their obligations to the people of Hong Kong, and supporting the people of Hong Kong's right to freedom of assembly and peaceful protest.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-30] · 24 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ann Wagner (R-MO), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), John R. Curtis (R-UT), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Jim Costa (D-CA), Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-30] reported raising $2.9 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 (4)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
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 (Passed House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hres543.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hres>

Record fed-us-cong116-hres543 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116