Sen. Johnson Joins Sen. Rick Scott, 49 Senate Colleagues in Bipartisan Letter Encouraging U.K. Prime Minister Starmer to Work with President Trump to Free Jimmy Lai

WASHINGTON - Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and 49 of their bipartisan colleagues in sending a letter to United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging him to work closely with President Trump and the U.S. government to secure the release of Jimmy Lai, a U.K. citizen and pro-democracy leader. Mr. Lai has been unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese Communist regime and is suffering from deteriorating health after five years of imprisonment.

"Like our president, we share Mr. Lai's values and admire his struggle for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. We are encouraged by the U.S. and U.K. Governments' determination to free Mr. Lai. We know it will be difficult and that the U.K. will need to explore all possible avenues and use every tool at its disposal to secure Mr. Lai's freedom," the senators wrote.

Sens. Johnson and Scott were joined by U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

The full text of the letter can be found here.

###