[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5697 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5697

To prohibit the use of certain funds related to the 2008 Olympic Games 
                   in China, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 3, 2008

Mr. DeFazio (for himself, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
 Stark, Ms. Watson, Mr. Cummings, Mr. McCotter, Ms. Berkley, Ms. Lee, 
     Mr. Welch of Vermont, Mr. Abercrombie, and Ms. Zoe Lofgren of 
 California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prohibit the use of certain funds related to the 2008 Olympic Games 
                   in China, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Defend the Olympic Spirit Act of 
2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The People's Republic of China has rejected calls by 
        the international community to cease human rights violations 
        and has instead brutally cracked down on recent demonstrations 
        in the Tibetan Autonomous Region and several Chinese provinces, 
        resulting in an undetermined number of deaths and hundreds of 
        detentions.
            (2) China has consistently impeded efforts to pressure 
        Sudan to peacefully resolve the Darfur atrocities, including 
        using its Security Council position to block sanctions against 
        Sudan. China has emboldened Sudan to ignore international 
        pressure by removing the threat of further sanctions.
            (3) China continues to unfairly detain thousands of 
        political prisoners absent a trial, including democracy 
        activists, human rights defenders, religious leaders, 
        journalists, trade unionists, and political dissidents.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF CERTAIN FUNDS RELATED TO THE 2008 OLYMPIC 
              GAMES IN CHINA.

    (a) Opening Ceremonies.--No funds appropriated pursuant to any 
appropriations Acts or otherwise appropriated may be expended to enable 
any United States officer or official to attend the opening ceremonies 
of the 2008 Olympic Games in the People's Republic of China.
    (b) Rule of Construction Related to Security.--Nothing in this 
section shall be construed as prohibiting the expenditure of Federal 
funds to provide security during the 2008 Olympic Games to any United 
States athlete or associated support staff.
                                 <all>