Lankford and colleagues advocate to protect Hongkongers from Chinese oppression

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Todd Young (R-IN), Ben Cardin (DMD), John Cornyn (RTX), Jeff Merkley (DOR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (DOR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chris Coons (D-DE) to reintroduce the bipartisan Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act, which would ensure those Hongkongers who peacefully protested Beijing’s corrupt justice system and have a well-founded fear of persecution are eligible for Priority 2 Refugee status. The bill is in response to the People’s

Republic of China (PRC) anti-democratic national security law, the Law of the People’s

Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

“China wants to suppress prodemocracy voices in Hong Kong, limiting

Hongkongers’ access to the internet, and silencing freedom-loving people. The US should not turn a blind eye to Beijing’s suppression efforts,” Lankford said. ”The Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act allows eligible Hongkongers to seek refuge in the US to protect them from Chinese retaliation.

China’s action to erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and clamp down on free people should not be taken lightly.”

“The CCP is tightening its stranglehold on Hong Kong and with that comes the targeting of Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders and activists,” Rubio said. “We have already seen activists, including Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and others get dragged away to prison for nothing more than exercising the rights guaranteed to them. The US must do all it can to assist those Hongkongers who have courageously stood up to defend the city they love from the CCP’s persecution and open our doors to them. I am proud to re-introduce this bipartisan bill that will do just that. We must also continue to encourage like-minded nations to make similar accommodations in support of those Hongkongers in need of safe harbor.”

“As the people of Hong Kong continue to face Beijing’s tightening grip on their autonomy, freedoms and basic human rights, the United States must hold its torch high and proud for the tired, the poor and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” Menendez said. “We are introducing this bipartisan legislation to reiterate to the Chinese Communist Party that the United States stands foursquare with the people of Hong Kong and that we are committed to ensuring that they will not fall through the cracks of our broken immigration system if they seek refuge for standing up for their rights.”

“Hongkongers have lived in fear for far too long. I’ve been vocal about condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s egregious and numerous human rights

violations. Last year, I sent a letter to the US Secretary of State encouraging the United States to work with the United Kingdom and Australia to welcome Hongkongers seeking refuge from the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian crackdown,” Young said. “I’m proud to keep this push moving forward with the reintroduction of the bipartisan Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act.”

“China’s continued oppression of the people of Hong Kong must come to an end,” Cardin said. “The Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act makes clear that the United States will not stand idly by as Beijing continues its authoritarian tactics to target peaceful demonstrations and freedom of speech. Peaceful protest is the backbone of democracy and must be protected at all costs.”

“If we want to fulfill our founders’ hope that this county would be a beacon of hope for the oppressed around the world, then we can’t slam the door in the face of Hongkongers who are being persecuted for standing up in support of democracy,” Merkley said. “We must immediately create a pathway to safety in America for the victims of these brutal Chinese crackdowns on basic human rights and freedoms, and hold the perpetrators of those attacks accountable.”

“I have been moved by the courage of the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong in the face of increased repression and Chinese government meddling. It is appalling that thousands of protesters in Hong Kong have been persecuted for fighting for the liberties that Americans enjoy,” Durbin said. “I believe that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle share my feelings about the crisis in Hong Kong. The question is—what are we willing to do about it? We should act quickly

to pass legislation to protect Hongkongers in need, and show them and the world that Congress stands united on a bipartisan basis in the face of China’s repression.”

“It would be a moral failure if the United States didn’t support individuals abroad exercising their right to speak and assemble freely and peacefully, especially when it comes to Hongkongers dissenting against the Chinese government,” Wyden said. “It’s critical that Congress provide safe harbor to Hongkongers fleeing political persecution. The Chinese government needs to feel the consequences of undermining democracy and violating human rights, and Hongkongers deserve our protection.”

“Protecting the persecuted is at the core of America’s leadership and our strength as a nation,” Blumenthal said. “Offering refuge for those fighting for democracy in Hong Kong will not only protect the lives of activists, it will also help constrain the worst abuses of the Chinese Communist Party. Our country’s willingness to help protestors escape persecution helps deter and discourage acts of authoritarian oppression. We should seize this moment to

protect the people of Hong Kong, and show repressive regimes around the world that the United States stands by fellow citizens fighting for freedom.”

“The Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act provides refuge to those brave individuals who peacefully protested Beijing’s efforts to undermine freedom of speech and the right to assemble in Hong Kong,” Coons said. “China and the UK signed a treaty in 1984 that affords Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy. The rights of Hong Kong citizens should be respected and protected, and this bipartisan bill reaffirms our shared commitment to protect Hongkongers facing persecution for exercising their fundamental rights.”

The Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act would:

·Grant certain Hongkongers Priority 2 Refugee Status: Hongkongers who participated peacefully in the protest movement and have a well-founded fear of persecution will be eligible for Priority 2 Refugee processing in Hong Kong or a third country. Refugees from Hong Kong will not be subjected to the numerical limitation.

·Waive Immigration Intent as a Factor for Non-Immigrant Visas:

For those Hongkongers who have been arrested for protest-related offenses or served in a humanitarian or organizing role in the protests, the intent to immigrate will not be considered as a factor for non-immigrant visas to ease the way for an asylum claim.

·Treat Revocation of Hong Kong Residency in Retaliation for Applying for Refugee Status or a USVisa as Political Persecution: If Beijing revokes the residency of Hongkongers for applying for refugee status or a US visa, then those individuals will remain eligible for refugee status as victims of political persecution.

·Sunset Clause: The bill will cease to have an effect five years after its enactment.

Lankford is a commissioner on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC). In July, Lankford cautioned his colleagues and the Trump Administration to remain vigilant of communist China’s ongoing push to spread its regime and ideals in the region and beyond. Additionally, last Congress Lankford and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the Safeguarding Internet Freedom in Hong Kong Act, which pushes back on China’s aggressive actions to undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedom by bolstering firewall circumvention infrastructure in Hong Kong. In 2019, Lankford sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to push for additional firewall circumvention tools to diversify the technology portfolio and increase the effectiveness of the federal government’s efforts.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Tucked inside President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan is a seemingly radical notion that children should not grow up in poverty.

Congressional Democrats are now sketching out that vision more fully by proposing to temporarily raise the child tax credit, now at a maximum of $2,000, to as much as $3,600 per child annually. Their plan would also make the credit fully available to the poorest families, instead of restricting it based on the parents’ tax liability.

“The Democratic plan would likely mark the most significant step in the fight against child poverty since LBJ’s Great Society,” said Daniel Hemel, a law professor at the University of Chicago, who noted that a family with two school-age children and no income would get $6,000 under the proposal.

This one-off benefit is intended to help relieve millions of families hurt by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Parents have lost their access to child care, pushing them out of the labor force and hindering the economic recovery. Children have gone without the classroom time needed for social and academic progress.

When Lyndon Johnson became president in 1963, nearly 25% of children lived in poverty. The combination of Great Society programs that included nutrition aid and preschool funding helped slash the child poverty rate to 14% by 1969, according to the Census Bureau. The rate has since bounced up and down with the broader economy, but it has never fallen meaningfully below that 1969 level.

Biden has pitched his rescue plan as an immediate response to the pandemic, but the child tax credit expansion might end up seeding the kind of lasting change that tends to bring a political fight. Some conservatives say the plan would discourage parents from working and would not reduce poverty as a result. But liberals view it as an investment in children that needs to stay in place to ultimately improve people’s lives and the economy.

“This is a really bold idea,” said C. Nicole Mason, CEO of the liberal Institute for Women’s Policy Research. “Things that we wouldn’t have been talking about as possible a year before the pandemic are suddenly on the table — and this is one of those things.”

In a Friday speech about his full COVID-19 relief proposal, Biden said the spending would ultimately lead to durable economic gains. His plan includes funding for school reopenings, child care and other programs to help the youngest Americans.

“The simple truth is, if we make these investments now, with interest rates at historic lows, we’ll generate more growth, higher incomes, a stronger economy and our nation’s finances will be in a stronger position as well,” Biden said.

Past economic research has shown that each dollar spent on health insurance programs for children led to a $1.78 return for the government, according to a 2020 paper by Harvard University economists Nathaniel Hendren and Ben Sprung-Keyser. The argument from many economists is that financial relief for children would produce similar benefits for decades to come.

But conservatives say the increased child tax credits could discourage poor people from seeking jobs. Robert Rector, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said he believes the proposal would eventually undo the work requirements that were part of the 1996 overhaul of welfare, a reform that Biden voted for as a Delaware senator.

“They’re clearly using this COVID situation to try and permanently change the welfare state and permanently enlarge it,” said Rector, stressing that needy families already have access to extensive anti-poverty programs.

As outlined by the House Ways and Means Committee, the expanded child tax credit would likely help about 20 million lower-income people. Families would receive up to $3,600 annually for each child under age 6 and as much as $3,000 for those up to 17. The credit would start to phase out for individual parents earning more than $75,000 and couples making $150,000. Payments of the credit would be made monthly, even to families who owe no federal income taxes — a change from current policy.

The plan has shifted some of the politics around child poverty. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah last week proposed his own plan to provide at least $3,000 per child to families, but the payments would be funded by cutting other government programs and tax credits for parents. It’s unlikely that Democrats would back Romney’s plan because it would cut other forms of aid to children, meaning it has not gained much political traction so far.

Researchers at Columbia University estimated that Biden’s entire $1.9 trillion relief plan would slash the child poverty rate to less than 7% this year.

Supporters of the package also see a return to grappling with big ideas about poverty that has not occurred for decades. The child tax credit is possibly the start of a larger transformation in how the government addresses child poverty.

“A one-year improvement is great, and it puts the architecture in place,” said Michelle Dallafior, senior vice president for the advocacy group First Focus on Children. “But we need to keep doing more and build something permanent . ... No child should live in poverty.”

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 10, the 41st day of 2021. There are 324 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Feb. 10, 1967, the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, dealing with presidential disability and succession, was ratified as Minnesota and Nevada adopted it.

On this date:

In 1763, Britain, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years’ War (also known as the French and Indian War in North America).

In 1840, Britain’s Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg (KOH’-borg) and Gotha (GAH’-thuh).

In 1933, the first singing telegram was introduced by the Postal Telegram Co. in New York.

In 1936, Nazi Germany’s Reichstag passed a law investing the Gestapo secret police with absolute authority, exempt from any legal review.

In 1959, a major tornado tore through the St. Louis area, killing 21 people and causing heavy damage.

In 1962, the Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States.

In 1992, boxer Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant. (Tyson served three years in prison.) “Roots” author Alex Haley died in Seattle at age 70.

In 1997, a civil jury heaped $25 million in punitive damages on O.J. Simpson for the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, on top of $8.5 million in compensatory damages awarded earlier.

In 2005, Britain’s Prince Charles announced he would marry his divorced lover, Camilla Parker Bowles, in April. North Korea boasted publicly for the first time that it possessed nuclear weapons.

In 2006, Dr. Norman Shumway, who performed the first successful U.S. heart transplant, died in Palo Alto, California, at age 83.

In 2014, former film star and diplomat Shirley Temple Black, 85, died at her home near San Francisco.

In 2015, the parents of Kayla Jean Mueller and U.S. officials confirmed the death of the 26-year-old aid worker who had been held captive by the Islamic State group (IS said Mueller had been killed in a Jordanian airstrike). NBC announced it was suspending Brian Williams as “Nightly News” anchor and managing editor for six months without pay for misleading the public about his experiences covering the Iraq War. Jon Stewart announced he would step down as host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central later in the year.

Ten years ago: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused to step down or leave the country and instead handed his powers to his vice president, stunning protesters in central Cairo who waved their shoes in contempt and shouted, “Leave, leave, leave.” (Mubarak resigned the next day.)

Five years ago: Senate Democrats and Republicans united behind tougher sanctions on North Korea for violating international law by pursuing nuclear weapons. President Barack Obama took a nostalgic trip to the Illinois capital of Springfield where he launched his national political career nine years earlier. For the 15th time, officials denied parole for Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Former Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis, 84, died in Prescott, Arizona.

One year ago: U.S. health officials confirmed the first case of the novel coronavirus among the hundreds of people who’d been evacuated from China to military bases in the United States; it was among the 13 confirmed cases in the U.S. Britain declared the new coronavirus a “serious and imminent threat to public health” and said people with the virus could now be forcibly quarantined. U.S. prosecutors charged four members of the Chinese military with breaking into the computer networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans.

“The city, the franchise, the teammates, the coaching staff — all those players, they wanted me back,” Molina said, “and I wanted to be back here. Obviously free agency is a process. It’s a slow process. You understand that. But in my mind, St. Louis was my first choice.”

“We are pleased to announce that Yadier has agreed to continue his legacy career as a member of the Cardinals and remain a centerpiece of our team,”

“We know,” Mozeliak added, “that there is no one more driven

than Yadi to get the Cardinals another shot at the title.”

lineup, great news,” Molina said. “What type of player he is, what he brings to the table, is amazing. He was and still is one of the best players in the game. I’m happy for us to have him on the same field. Happy for me to have him on the corner. And I can’t wait to play with him.”

Yadier Molina enjoyed going through the process of free agency for the first time in more than two decades as a pro.

He was even happier that he wound up returning to the Cardinals.

The 38-year-old catcher signed a $9 million contract for the upcoming season Tuesday, ensuring the nine-time Gold Glove winner would remain with the only organization for which he’s played for an 18th season.

“I have a bunch of stuff going on here in Puerto Rico with my basketball team. I’m playing winter ball. But it was fun — fun to be part of the free-agent process,” Molina said, “but in my mind, it was always St. Louis. We did everything we could to get the deal done and I’m happy to be back here again.”

Molina hit .262 with four home runs in 42 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, his last under a $60 million, threeyear deal. Molina ended up making a prorated $7,407,407 of his $20 million salary last year, sending him into his first offseason on the open market since the Cardinals drafted him in 2000.

He received interest from several other clubs, but none of them had the sentimental pull of St. Louis.

Now, he’s back with his longtime batterymate, 39-year-old Adam Wainwright, who agreed to an $8 million deal for the upcoming season, as the Cardinals make another push for what would be Molina’s third World Series title.

Cardinals president John Mozeliak said. “His experience, leadership, work ethic and ability to help bring out the best in those around him are special qualities.

Molina has made nine All-Star teams and appeared in 2,025 games for the Cardinals, who drafted him in the fourth round out of Ladislao Martinez High School in his native Puerto Rico. He was in the big leagues by 2004 and never left, becoming one of the most dependable backstops at one of the game’s most grueling positions.

He is third on the franchise list in games played behind Hall of Famers Stan Musial (3,026) and Lou Brock (2,289).

Molina is a career .281 hitter with 160 home runs, and he’s played in at least 110 games every season but his first and this past season, which was shortened by the pandemic. But he’s best known for his defense behind the dish, trailing only Ivan Rodriguez (13) and Johnny Bench (10) for the most Gold Gloves won by a catcher.

He just finished playing for Criollos de Caguas, Puerto Rico’s representative in the Caribbean Series, where they lost to Cardinals teammate Carlos Martinez and his Dominican Republic team in the championship. Molina wound up hitting .192 while catching five of the six games and serving as the designated hitter in the other one.

His return solidifies the lineup for the Cardinals, whose pitchers and catchers are due to report to spring training Feb. 17 in Jupiter, Florida. They have been aggressive in the offseason as they aim for another playoff run with the biggest move their high-profile trade with the Colorado Rockies for eight-time Gold Glove-winner Nolen Arenado.

“When you add Arenado to our

Not long after Arenado’s trade was complete, he said: “Hopefully we get the best catcher back and we keep moving.”

The Cardinals got him back Tuesday for one more season.