Three more US senators back Hong Kong bill, including presidential candidate Kamala Harris
- Kamala Harris, a Democrat, joined nearly a third of her Senate colleagues in cosponsoring the legislation, which has already passed in the US House
- The proposed law would place economic sanctions on people the US deem to have violated the terms of Hong Kong’s autonomy from mainland China
US Senator Kamala Harris, who is also a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, became the latest lawmaker to come out in favour of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, bringing the number of cosponsors to nearly one-third of the Senate.
Harris, who represents California, pledged her support for the bill as a cosponsor on Tuesday, along with Republican Senator John Hoeven of Florida and Democratic Senator Christopher Murphy of Connecticut.
The three additions mean there are now 31 cosponsors, nearly one-third of the 100 senators in Congress’s upper chamber.
The bill, which would place economic sanctions on individuals deemed to have violated the terms of Hong Kong’s autonomy from mainland China, could go to a Senate vote early as this week. It was passed by the House of Representatives with no objections last week.
The legislation needs a simple majority, or 51 votes, in the Senate to pass. Differences between the House and Senate versions would then need to be reconciled before the bill is sent to President Donald Trump to sign into law.
