Press Releases

The Hong Kong Be Water Act condemns the Chinese Communist Party for violations of Hongkongers’ freedoms of speech, assembly, and demonstration -- rights that Beijing previously agreed to uphold. It also calls for tough new sanctions against the government officials and others responsible for the violations.

“Every day law enforcement officers walk into the line of fire to protect our communities. But the trauma they experience can take a heavy toll on those brave men and women who keep us safe. This bill takes positive steps toward getting our men and women in blue the support they deserve in order to heal and recover.”

Sometimes the fate of one city defines the challenge of a generation. Fifty years ago, that city was Berlin. Today, it is Hong Kong. Beijing seeks to dominate the Asia-Pacific region, and eventually, the world — to bend global trade, global markets, and yes, global competitors, to its will. Nothing could be more dangerous to the security of the American people or the prosperity of our middle class.

"To help address the opioid crisis, the DEA has recently developed heroin-fentanyl enforcement teams… I am requesting that DEA deploy personnel and investigative resources from these heroin-fentanyl enforcement teams, or from other parts of the agency, to Missouri to investigate this spate of overdoses and deaths. The DEA’s help is especially needed to identify the origin and distribution operation of the drug."

As big corporations collect ever-increasing amounts of personal data, they become even more appealing targets for hacking. This hearing will explore the state of cyber security in America, and how the government and private sector are facing this growing threat.

Senator Hawley said, “Intelligence officials have warned us that the Chinese Communist Party is using student spies to steal our technology and undermine our national security on college campuses. This bill gives the Department of Homeland Security the tools it needs to address this growing threat by increasing counterintelligence vetting for student and academic visas.”

It is time now to stand with the people of Hong Kong and to send a signal to the world that the United States will stand with freedom-loving peoples, that the United States will stand up to Beijing, that the United States will not permit China to dominate its neighbors and its region and the world. And so it is time for this body to act and to act now.

“Every year Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars fund federal agencies that are mainly located in the D.C. bubble. That’s a big part of the problem with Washington: they’re too removed from the rest of America. The HIRE Act will move policymakers directly into the communities they serve, creating thousands of jobs for local communities and saving taxpayers billions of dollars along the way.”

“Your data is your property. Period. Consumers should have the flexibility to choose new online platforms without artificial barriers to entry. This bill creates long-overdue requirements that will boost competition and give consumers the power to move their data from one service to another,” said Sen. Hawley.

During his fact-finding visit to Hong Kong, United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Hong Kong was in “danger of sliding towards a police state.” Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam then held a press conference where she called Senator Hawley’s remarks “irresponsible and unfounded.” Last night Senator Hawley responded to Lam, saying, “I chose the words ‘police state’ purposely - because that is exactly what Hong Kong is becoming. I saw it myself. If Carrie Lam wants to demonstrate...