Austin News

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has introduced the Falun Gong Protection Act. This legislation aims to impose sanctions on individuals involved in involuntary organ harvesting and mandates the Secretary of State to report to Congress about organ transplant practices of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to Sen. Cruz, these actions by the CCP particularly target Falun Gong practitioners.

Senator Cruz stated, “China's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is an attack on religious freedom and human rights. It’s long past time to dismantle the CCP’s state-sponsored organ harvesting industry. I urge my colleagues to join me in countering these human rights violations and ensuring the CCP is held accountable.”

Representative Scott Perry added his voice, stating, “The United States, as the beacon of freedom around the world, cannot be silent when the Chinese Community Party is engaged in systemic torturing, incarceration, and forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. The CCP and its enablers must be held accountable for these atrocities.”

This bill has gained co-sponsorship from Senators Ron Johnson, Rick Scott, and Thom Tillis. Concurrently, Representative Scott Perry has introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives.

Falun Gong is a spiritual movement established in China during the early 1990s by Li Hongzhi. The movement saw rapid growth but was banned by the CCP in 1999. Since then, many followers have been arrested and subjected to torture and forced labor camps where some reportedly experience involuntary organ harvesting for transplants both within China and internationally.