A group of Republican lawmakers, led by Senator Rick Scott of Florida, has introduced legislation aimed at re-designating the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Ministry of Public Security’s Institute of Forensic Science (IFS) on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List.
The “Confronting CCP Human Rights Abusers Act” seeks to reinstate restrictions that were previously imposed by the Trump administration but later lifted by the Biden administration.
The IFS, a key component of China’s public security apparatus, was initially placed on the Entity List in 2020 due to its alleged role in human rights abuses, including the use of DNA to track and surveil Chinese citizens, particularly Uyghur and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang.
Senator Scott, who introduced the bill in the Senate alongside co-sponsors Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Josh Hawley (R-MO), criticized the Biden administration’s decision to remove the IFS from the list.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s Institute of Forensic Science plays a key role in the regime’s surveillance state, directly enabling mass internment, forced labor, and high-tech oppression of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities,” Scott stated. He argued that reinstating the institute on the Entity List is essential to prevent American technology from aiding the CCP’s alleged human rights violations.
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Senator Blackburn echoed Scott’s concerns, emphasizing the need to hold the IFS accountable for its “abusive and genocidal actions.” She asserted that the legislation would “reaffirm the United States’ resolve to hold human rights violators accountable.”
In the House, Representatives Andy Ogles (R-TN) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) are leading the parallel effort. Ogles condemned the CCP’s actions, including “genocide and espionage to forced organ harvesting,” and expressed pride in supporting the legislation.
The “Confronting CCP Human Rights Abusers Act” mandates that the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security include the IFS, along with its aliases, on the Entity List within 60 days of the bill’s enactment.
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The legislation also includes a provision for a presidential waiver, allowing the Secretary of Commerce to remove the IFS from the list if the President certifies that the institute is not involved in activities contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests or human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
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