Democracy in Hong Kong Congressional Gold Medal Act
This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Ryan Law Wai-kwong, Cheung Kim-hung, and all the other individuals who worked for Apple Daily, a Hong Kong media company, in recognition of their commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2303 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2303
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Lai Chee ying (``Jimmy Lai''),
Law Wai kwong (``Ryan Law''), Cheung Kim hung, Chow Tat kuen (``Royston
Chow''), Chan Pui man, Cheung Chi wai, Yeung Ching kee (``Li Ping''),
and all the men and women who worked for Apple Daily in recognition of
their commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong in the face of
the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 24, 2021
Mr. Sasse introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Lai Chee ying (``Jimmy Lai''),
Law Wai kwong (``Ryan Law''), Cheung Kim hung, Chow Tat kuen (``Royston
Chow''), Chan Pui man, Cheung Chi wai, Yeung Ching kee (``Li Ping''),
and all the men and women who worked for Apple Daily in recognition of
their commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong in the face of
the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Democracy in Hong Kong Congressional
Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Lai Chee ying (``Jimmy Lai'') is a Hong Kong
entrepreneur, pro-democracy activist and founder of Giordano,
an Asian clothing retainer, Next Digital, a Hong Kong-listed
media company, and the popular newspaper Apple Daily.
(2) Lai is a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist
Party and was a leader of Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement
and has been accused and tried for his involvement in the 2019-
2020 pro-democracy movement. Lai has been unjustly arrested on
multiple occasions for his criticism of the Chinese Communist
Party.
(3) On August 10, 2020, Lai was arrested on suspicion of
``collaborating with foreign forces'' and the offices of Apple
Daily were raided by Hong Kong police officers. The charges
were brought forth under the Law of the People's Republic of
China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region enacted by the Chinese Communist
Party on June 30, 2020.
(4) In December 2020, Lai was awarded the ``Freedom of
Press Award'' by Reporters Without Borders for his role in
founding Apple Daily.
(5) On April 16, 2021, after a sham trial, Lai was
sentenced to 14 months in prison for his support of democracy
in Hong Kong.
(6) On June 17, 2021, police again raided Apple Daily's
news room, seized journalists' computers, arrested top editors,
and froze $2,300,000 of the paper's assets. Among the arrested
were Next's chief executive, Cheung Kim hung, and Chow Tat kuen
(``Royston Chow''), its chief operating officer, Law Wai kwong
(``Ryan Law''), Apple Daily's chief editor, Cheung Chi wai, the
chief executive editor, and Chan Pui man, deputy chief editor.
(7) On June 23, 2021, Apple Daily announced its forced
closure due to the current circumstances in Hong Kong. Apple
Daily's lead opinion writer, Yeung Ching kee, who publishes
under the name Li Ping was also arrested.
(8) Even amidst the raids and arrests, Apple Daily
heroically continued to report on the police operation with
reporters writing on their phones after their computers were
seized.
(9) Apple Daily has, at great cost, demonstrated the
importance of maintaining freedom of speech and of the press in
spite of the vicious authoritarianism of the Chinese Communist
Party.
(10) The reporters, journalists, editors, and employees at
both Apple Daily and Next Digital have exhibited courage and
determination in the face of the Chinese Communist Party's
tyranny and deserve to be commended by the people of the United
States for their fight for freedom and truth.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress,
of a gold medal of appropriate design to Lai Chee ying (``Jimmy Lai''),
Law Wai kwong (``Ryan Law''), Cheung Kim hung, Chow Tat kuen (``Royston
Chow''), Chan Pui man, Cheung Chi wai, Yeung Ching kee (``Li Ping''),
and all the men and women who worked for Apple Daily in recognition of
their commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong in the face of
the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal
struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the
medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.
Medals struck pursuant to this Act are National medals for purposes
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck
under this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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