# 119-hres-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.

119-hres-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., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ); status passed_house (as of 2026-09-24).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-1259
- As of: 2026-09-24
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hres-1259
- Congress: 119
- Title: 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.
- Status: passed_house
- Introduced: 2026-05-07
- Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-24

## Summary

**Securing the humanitarian release of unjustly detained individuals**. The resolution would urge the President to press China for verifiable proof of life and to ensure independent legal counsel, family contact, and medical care for named detainees during diplomatic talks. - Families: U.S. advocacy would focus on getting proof of life, regular family contact, and medical access for relatives of detainees such as Jin Mingri and Pang Yu. - Named detainees and legal rights: It highlights specific cases, noting Gulshan Abbas' 20-year sentence and Jimmy Lai's 20-year sentence, to press for release and fair legal access. - U.S. diplomacy and human rights: The resolution would push the Administration to make these cases a high priority in engagements with China, including the May 2026 summit, as part of defending political and religious freedom.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2] (R-MI), 2026-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40] (R-CA), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree | Passed | 414 | 0 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- President to prioritize freeing detainees in China: benefit, low. The House directs the President to prioritize freeing detainees in China. They are Pastor Jin Mingri; Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu; Dr. Gulshan Abbas; and Jimmy Lai. This priority applies to talks with President Xi, including the expected May 2026 summit. The Administration seeks verifiab…

## Related bills

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- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7622: Iran Human Rights, Internet Freedom, and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-5490: Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act

## Sources
- [119-hres-1259 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/1259)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9237)
- [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422)
- [119-hr-7622: Iran Human Rights, Internet Freedom, and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7622)
- [119-hr-5490: Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5490)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-1259 (as of 2026-09-24).