House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Sanction Organ Harvesting Operations

A bipartisan bill to sanction individuals and entities involved in forced organ trafficking passed the House of Representatives with a near unanimous vote of 413-2.

Details: A summary of the bill states it “imposes sanctions on persons (individuals and entities) involved in forced organ trafficking and authorizes the Department of State to revoke the passports of individuals convicted of certain crimes related to organ trafficking.” The bill aims to target alleged organ harvesting operations in China. In 2021, the United Nations released a statement on alleged forced organ harvesting targeting ethnic minorities detailed in China. Only two representatives, Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), voted against the bill. The bill now heads to the Senate for another vote.

Key Quotes: Arguing in favor of the bill, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) stated, “State-sponsored forced organ harvesting is big business for Xi and the Chinese Communist Party and shows absolutely no signs of abating.” In a statement given to Newsweek, Massie explained his vote against the bill, stating, “the bill gives the president unilateral broad authority to sanction individuals and politicians without any adjudication or due process.”

How The Media Covered It: Right-rated outlets covered the bill mildly. Left- and Center-rated outlets covered the bill less, with the focus of the coverage being Greene and Massie’s votes against the legislation. Mediaite did not mention China or the Chinese Communist Party in its coverage, while Newsweek and the Daily Caller did.