Representative Tran Holds Vietnamese Government Accountable for Human Rights Abuses

Washington, D.C. - Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8595, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027, which included Representative Derek Tran's (CA-45) amendment to hold the Vietnamese communist government accountable for human rights violations. The provision will direct State Department funding for the annual U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, a critical diplomatic tool to press the Vietnamese government to address human rights violations, including the jailing of journalists, political dissidents, and religious leaders. It also reaffirms Congress' commitment to advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms in Vietnam.

Watch Representative Tran give remarks on the amendment here.

"America is a beacon of freedom, democracy, and unwavering in its commitment to upholding human rights. As the Vietnamese government continues to restrict freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and peaceful political expression, the United States has a responsibility to stand up against these human rights abuses. Prisoners of conscience, like Le Huu Minh Tuan, should be reunited with their families and not imprisoned in a Vietnamese jail cell. I am proud that my amendment to hold the Vietnamese government responsible for human rights violations was supported by the House of Representatives. Diplomatic and foreign assistance programs are critical to protecting American national security interests and promoting human rights globally, and I will continue to fight for robust support for these programs in Congress. I urge the State Department to schedule and host the next U.S.-Vietnam Humans Right Dialogue as soon as possible," said Representative Tran.

The National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027 funds the U.S. Department of State and foreign assistance programs that advance American diplomacy and national security.,

The bill passed 217-209.

As the first Vietnamese American elected to represent Orange County's Little Saigon and the world's largest Vietnamese diaspora, Representative Tran is a vocal advocate against human rights violations in Vietnam. Representative Tran co-led H.R. 3122, the bipartisan Vietnam Human Rights Act, to hold Vietnamese communist officials accountable for human rights abuses and establish human rights and fair-trade priorities for U.S.-Vietnam relations. Representative Tran serves as the official sponsor of Le Huu Minh Tuan, a Vietnamese journalist wrongfully imprisoned by the communist government, through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project, and continues to fight for the release of prisoners of conscience around the world.

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