Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congressmen French Hill (AR-02) delivered a speech from the House floor voicing his solidarity with the people of Hong Kong.

Click on the video below to watch his speech from the House floor:

The transcript of his remarks is copied below:

I thank my friend from New Jersey [Congressman Chris Smith] very much to come and speak on the subject of Hong Kong today. I rise in support of all these bills before us today, particularly from my friend from New Jersey, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. I stand in solidarity with all freedom-loving people in Hong Kong. For more than four months, we witnessed Hong Kong citizens peacefully protest for the right to live in a free and fair political system. Over my years, I’ve traveled to Hong Kong and witnessed their innovative spirit and work ethic. Hong Kong was the model for the post World War II growth of the “Asian tigers” in their prosperity and innovation.

In the 1980's when a proponent of welfare statism queried the pro-growth economist Melvin Kronous: “How many Hong Kong’s can the world have?” Doctor Kronous replied, “as many as the world will allow itself.” Freedom lovers should rally to that wisdom. This summer, I had the opportunity to hear directly from leaders in Hong Kong dedicated to religious tolerance and democracy as promised in the “one country, two systems” agreement.

The people of Hong Kong continue to wave American flags during their protests as a symbol for the freedoms that they desire. And rather than receiving support from all over our great land, they’ve had to witness the blatant hypocrisy that we’ve seen from U.S. companies, including the National Basketball Association, more worried about a bottom line and retribution from the P.R.C. rather than standing up for the basic human rights that we are so blessed with in this country and that we advocate as part of our foreign policy all over this globe.

The free world is looking to us for leadership and that’s why I thank my friend from New Jersey, Mr. McGovern and Mr. Sherman for supporting these legislative efforts on a bipartisan basis. But more importantly supporting the people in Hong Kong--that they have the right to freedom of expression and democratic governance guaranteed under that 50-year arrangement agreed to in 1997 by both the United Kingdom and Peoples Republic of China. I urge all my colleagues to support these measures today.