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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been very critical of the human rights violations committed by China. This week Pelosi called for the US and other countries to boycott the upcoming Beijing Olympics in 2022.
During a bipartisan congressional hearing, Pelosi proposed that the US and other countries do a “diplomatic boycott” of the 2022 Winter Olympics that will be held in Beijing. Pelosi cited the human rights abuses that China has committed towards the Muslim minorities in the country. Pelosi is among the lawmakers that have been especially critical of China’s human rights record and there is increasing talk among advocates on a possible boycott.
“What I propose -- and join those who are proposing -- is a diplomatic boycott,” said Pelosi during the hearing. “Let’s not honor the Chinese government by having heads of state go to China. For heads of state to go to China in light of a genocide that is ongoing -- while you’re sitting there in your seat - really begs the question: What moral authority do you have to speak again about human rights any place in the world?”
So far, the Biden administration has called China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim community a “genocide,” which Beijing has denied. President Joe Biden has said that he hopes to develop a joint approach with US allies regarding participation in the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Among the lawmakers, Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern proposed to relocate the Olympics, citing the postponement of the sporting event in 2020 due to the pandemic. Republican Congressman Chris Smith also suggested that the event’s corporate sponsors be called to testify.
Meanwhile, Pelosi recently pushed back against House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s call that face masks no longer be required on the House floor. This follows the CDC’s new guidelines saying that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks even in most indoor spaces. Despite the new guidelines, Pelosi has refused to relax the restrictions to that extent.
Pelosi’s office issued a statement in response to McCarthy’s comments. “If Minority Leader McCarthy wants to be maskless on the Floor of the House of Representatives, he should get to work vaccinating his members,” said Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammill. Hammill added that McCarthy’s move a “stunt” to distract from the vote on the bipartisan Jan. 6 commission into the Capitol riots.
