H.Res. 1259

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should prioritize securing the release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai detained by the People’s Republic of China during future engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Introduced May 7, 2026Sponsor: Christopher H. Smith

Latest action (May 13, 2026): Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Official summary

This resolution calls upon the President to prioritize the humanitarian release of five specified individuals (Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai) and others unjustly detained by China during future engagements with China's President Xi Jinping. The resolution also (1) urges the President to seek verifiable proof of life, access to independent legal counsel, family communication, and medical care for these detainees; and (2) reaffirms the U.S. commitment to defending political and religious freedom and advocating for the release of those unjustly detained for exercising such fundamental freedoms.

Summary: Congress.gov (Congressional Research Service).

Roll-call votes on this bill

Data as of Sep 28, 2026. Source: Congress.gov.

Use this in Claude. The same voting-record data is available to AI assistants through the Congress Vote Record connector — setup and documentation.