Senate Hong Kong Legislation Co-Sponsor Says Bill Unlikely to Come Up This Week
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who served as the Republican party whip for five years until 2018, said he doesn't think the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act would come up this week. The most likely way for the Hong Kong bill to move that quickly would be to see if it could be subject to unanimous consent, which means a voice vote with no debate. Bringing up a bill in this way is to "hotline" it.
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"There is a possibility [of hotlining], but I think it's something people would want a chance to talk about, and also vote on, as opposed to just make a point. But I haven't heard any timetable for that," Cornyn said in a brief hallway interview at the Capitol on Oct. 22. Cornyn is one of 31 co-sponsors of the bill, which was introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee and co-sponsor of the bill, said he had hoped the Hong Kong bill would come up through the hotline. "It's pretty timely to get this done now," he said to Export Compliance Daily on Oct. 22. He said he'd be asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has sole authority to make decisions on when -- or whether -- to allow a vote on the bill, which could eventually lead to the end of Hong Kong's separate treatment from China for customs and export controls.
Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., also a co-sponsor, said, "I'm open to all ways for legislation to come to the floor for debate and have discussion on it. Unfortunately, that's what we've been missing. This has been a legislative graveyard." An identical bill passed the House of Representatives on Oct 15 (see 1910160013). China reacted angrily to the news, and threatened retaliation.