Meet the one US lawmaker to dissent on Uygur and Hong Kong democracy votes that targeted China: Representative Thomas Massie
- The Republican’s holdout garners condemnation from human rights campaigners and praise from a Chinese government official
- Opposition to perceived ‘interference’ in China’s affairs overlooks Beijing’s meddling in the US as it coerces overseas Uygurs into silence, activists say
It is not difficult to see why US Representative Thomas Massie, feted in mainland China and reviled among many in Hong Kong, has come to be known as the “Mr No” of Capitol Hill.
Of the past 100 votes he has cast, the Republican from Kentucky has pressed the red “nay” button in the House of Representatives 71 times.
Massie, 48, has said that he doesn’t resent the moniker provided it is spelled correctly – “Mr. K-N-O-W” – and has argued that members of Congress are often given insufficient time to study a bill before having to vote on it.
Yet that wasn’t the explanation he gave for two recent high-profile votes on legislation targeting China over its human rights record – dissent that won him condemnation from human rights campaigners and praise from at least one Chinese government official.
“When our government meddles in the internal affairs of foreign countries, it invites those governments to meddle in our affairs,” Massie wrote on Twitter, explaining his objection to any legislation that sanctioned foreign governments.
Massie’s was the sole voice of dissent in the House’s passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in November and the Uighur Intervention and Global Humanitarian Unified Response (UIGHUR) Act in December, each of which received more than 400 votes in favour.