WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senators Rick Scott and Jeff Merkley introduced the bipartisan No Funds for Forced Labor Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive director at international financial institutions to oppose projects that use forced labor practices, specifically in Communist China’s Xinjiang region known for forced labor.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Among its many human rights abuses, Communist China has a proven and disgusting record of genocide and forced labor of Uyghurs and other minority groups. This is a human rights crisis, and the United States will not be complicit. I was proud to lead an effort with Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his time in the Senate to ensure that goods made with Uyghur forced labor do not enter the United States’ supply chain. Our bill, the No Funds for Forced Labor Act, will take another step in ensuring American tax dollars are not spent to support these gross abuses by Communist China.”

Senator Jeff Merkley said, “Your tax dollars should never inadvertently fund forced labor. This bipartisan bill builds off my Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and ensures the United States is not complicit in horrific human rights abuses. We need to send a strong message against slave labor wherever this evil appears.” 

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