HRES 1259
Agreed to
Calls on the President to make the release of several detained people, including Pastor Jin Mingri, Jimmy Lai, and Dr. Gulshan Abbas, a priority in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Official 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.
Timeline each lane is a chamber; dates pull from congress.gov actions
House
Referred
07-MAY-2026
Passed
13-MAY-2026
- Names Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu, his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai as detainees the President should prioritize, including at the anticipated May 2026 summit.
- Urges the President to seek verifiable proof of life, independent legal counsel, family communication, and medical care for detainees.
- Reaffirms U.S. commitment to defending political and religious freedom and to advocating for the release of those unjustly detained.
Covers an older version. The newest CRS summary describes the bill as of "Introduced in House" (07-MAY-2026); the text has changed since (Engrossed in House, 13-MAY-2026).
CRS is the Library of Congress's nonpartisan research office. Read it on congress.gov- Foreign Affairs Committee (House)
International Affairs
■ 2 R■ 1 D
2 Republicans
1 Democrat