Hultgren Pushes Human Rights

As almost weekly we read of Christians being killed in the Middle East, this press release from Congressman Randy Hultgren explains his future role in the fight for human rights:

Hultgren Appointed to Bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Executive Committee

Chairs First Hearing on Human Rights Violations Committed by Islamic State

Washington, DC –U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren’s (IL-14) strong record on combating and raising awareness about the plague of human trafficking at home and abroad has helped elevate him to an appointment to the eight-member Executive Committee of the well-respected Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), a bipartisan House commission with the mission to promote, defend and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms in a nonpartisan manner, both within and outside of Congress, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments.

The 30-year-old organization was co-founded by late Honorable Tom Lantos (D-CA), a champion of human rights and the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress.

Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), Co-Chairman of the TLHRC, said: “I’ve worked closely for many years with Congressman Hultgren and I’m proud to see him join the leadership of the Human Rights Commission. He has a real heart for people suffering around the world. His work on international trafficking and sexual slavery shows real compassion for women and children and is major issue that we will be focusing our efforts on in the coming years. We’re glad to have him join the team.”

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chairman of the TLHRC, said: “As Democratic Co-Chair, I welcome Randy Hultgren’s appointment to the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and look forward to working with him during the 114th Congress.”

Congressman Randy Hultgren (R-IL) said:

Randy Hultgren

Randy Hultgren

“I am humbled and honored to walk in the steps of such human rights champions as former Reps. Frank Wolf and Tom Lantos, current co-chairs Joe Pitts and Jim McGovern, fellow Executive Committee member Chris Smith, and many others.

“Joining the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Executive Committee is thrilling, and I am excited to help amplify the important work before us.

“I plan to use my particular passions—protecting victims of human trafficking and punishing perpetrators, defending religious liberty around the world, and helping those facing extreme poverty and hunger—to aid the committee as it stands up for the rights of the oppressed and marginalized everywhere.”

Upon his appointment to the Executive Committee, Rep. Hultgren chaired a hearing at the request of Chairman Pitts entitled, “Human Rights Violations Committed by the Islamic State,” featuring the following witnesses:

  • David N. Saperstein, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State
  • Sunjeev Bery, Advocacy Director, Middle East North Africa, Amnesty International USA
  • Erin Evers, Iraq Researcher, Middle East and North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
  • Rami Abdelrahman, Director, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
  • Bassam Ishak, President, Syriac National Council of Syria

In February, Rep. Hultgren delivered a floor statement drawing attention to religious minorities in the Middle East murdered or abducted by the Islamic State for their belief, and the need to repel the group’s sustained attack on religious freedom.

Rep. Hultgren has raised awareness of victims of human rights violation who are persecuted for exercising their political, religious, and educational beliefs. Through the TLHRC, Rep. Hultgren has “adopted” Zhu Yufu, a Chinese prisoner of conscience, and testified on his behalf and in support of his release.

Rep. Hultgren has made defending victims of human trafficking a top priority while in office, from hosting key anti-trafficking experts for Capitol Hill briefings, to convening community leaders in Illinois to fight the growing problem, to introducing legislation pushing nations to clamp down on the demand for commercial sex within their borders, a major factor contributing to the prevalence of sex slavery.


Comments

Hultgren Pushes Human Rights — 4 Comments

  1. If human rights is what Hultgren is advocating along with the other Republicans how come so many voted against an amendment for fast track and the TPP in the Senate committee to not have Malaysia which has been on the worst of trafficking offenders list since 2000.

    Or are they only against trafficking when money is not involved.

    Senator Menedez put an amendment in to not include Malaysi in the agreement because they use contractors to bring so called “maids” and house help who are basically slaves and prostitues and the contractors assume no liability.

    I will watch how Hultgren votes in the House and also his fellow congressmen.

    Don’t believe rhetoric look at the actions in votes.

    Congress has been deceiving us by bundling bills with ideas that do not belong together for years and the public always are the losers.

  2. Are you sure you want TPP fast tracked considering what was leaked?

    Malaysia is one thing, but it seems to not level the playing field for American workers which will cause more out sourcing and to make more commitments in that area for our military.

    Odd coming from this administration isn’t it?

  3. I am against fast track and TPP but most republicans and some democrats on the committee voted against excluding Malaysia if it passes.

    Also they voted down an amendment which would have made currency manipulation less likely with mostly republicans voting for it.

    Only democrats and Senator Burr voted no to fast track but they were in the minority.

    Watch cspan and committee meetings; don’t just believe rhetoric.

    This is not a democrat or republican thing.

    We all know how jobs have been lost with this free trade.

    We already have agreements with all of these countries.

    This TPP is to give foreign countries more control over the US and with Vietnam having 53 cent wages we will lose.

  4. World trade is great, it is what makes our material wealth possible, and I would refer any doubters to the book titled “A splendid exchange”

    “Free trade” however is not really free.

    I would argue that “free trade” agreements as we know them, in effect have created a worldwide economic governance system where individual human and nation-states’ rights are secondary to corporations’ rights.

    TPP would be more of the same.

    The justification for “free trade” agreements is world economic growth.

    The effect of the WTO agreements on the world economy has been positive, but there have been definitely some losers.

    I would count the US among the losers because entire industries have moved to China, and the US middle class has been decimated.

    The Chinese have taken advantage of the US through currency manipulation and the many subtle and not so subtle market barriers that the Chinese government has in place to protect its interests.

    A good book to read about this is “Death by China.”

    In light of the effects of prior agreements, and in light of the fact that TPP is negotiated in absolute secrecy, and in light of the fact that details leaked so far are very worrisome, I would ask all to contact your representatives and urge them to vote against “fast track” authority on TPP.

    Stonewall the damn thing.

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