Marking 26 Years of Persecution: U.S. Officials Stand with Falun Gong
Bipartisan members of Congress and the U.S. Department of State stand united with the Falun Gong community, reaffirming their commitment to religious freedom and calling for an end to the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution on its 26th anniversary. (Edited by Faluninfo)
WASHINGTON DC — Bravery. Dedication. Perseverance. Bipartisan members of Congress used these words to describe Falun Gong practitioners in China and the diaspora faith community on July 20, 2025. This date marks 26 years of relentless persecution and transnational repression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against people in China and around the world who practice Falun Gong.
Across party lines, U.S. officials reaffirmed their commitment to defending religious freedom and holding the CCP accountable for its human rights abuses.
The U.S. State Department also stated its position ahead of the anniversary, urging the Chinese regime to end its campaign against Falun Gong.
“For over 26 years, the CCP has waged a campaign of repression against practitioners of Falun Gong and their families. We again call on the CCP to end its campaign to eradicate Falun Gong.”
Bipartisan support from Congress
Members of Congress marked the anniversary with letters, public statements, and participation in commemorative events. Lawmakers emphasized the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance—central to Falun Gong practice—and condemned the Chinese regime’s long-standing campaign of violence and intimidation.
On July 17, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), who represents the district in New York that is home to Dragon Springs—headquarters of the Shen Yun Performing Arts Company, addressed a crowd of hundreds on National Mall. “Your unwavering adherence to the values that we see here so powerfully today, of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, truly serves as a beacon for everyone in our great country, in the United States America,” said Rep. Pat Ryan. He also emphasized the importance of preserving the rich arts, culture, and history of Falun Gong and traditional Chinese culture, stating that practitioners deserve to live freely and without fear.
“Even here in the United States, Beijing threatens to censor Shen Yun and threatens innocent Falun Gong practitioners with harassment and intimidation,” said Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) in a video message, “We cannot allow this. Not on our soil, not anywhere.
Additional members from the Democratic Party who sent messages of support, letters, videos, or comments in media interviews, included Rep. Adam Smith, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Rep. Stephen Lynch, Rep. Johnny Olszewski, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam.
Members of the Republican Party include Rep. Scott Perry, Rep. Chris Smith, Rep. Sam Graves, Rep. Joe Wilson, Rep. French Hill, and Rep. Tom Tiffany.
Three senators also declared their support: Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Todd Young, and Sen. Roger Marshall. “The CCP fears the Falun Gong,” said Sen. Cruz in a video message. “Your courage, your resilience, and your commitment to protecting religious liberty are an inspiration. I will continue to stand side-by-side with you in this fight.”
Many expressed their respect for Falun Gong practitioners’ peaceful resistance in the face of torture, arbitrary imprisonment, and even state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting. Several lawmakers went further, calling on U.S. authorities to take stronger action to end the CCP’s transnational repression, including threats and harassment targeting Falun Gong practitioners on American soil.
Capitol Hill forum highlights
In the days leading up to July 20, several former officials and Members of Congress spoke at a forum titled Safeguarding Freedom—Countering CCP Transnational Repression, held in the Capitol Visitor Center. Speakers described the determination with which the regime has sought to wipe out Falun Gong and warned that the CCP’s persecution has extended far beyond China’s borders, targeting Chinese dissidents—including Falun Gong practitioners—in the United States.
Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback emphasized the spiritual dimension of the CCP’s hostility:
“The greatest threat to the Chinese Communist Party is religion, and the religion that is the most natural to the Chinese people is the Falun Gong. [The U.S. government] need[s] to be very supportive of…Falun Gong, because of their incredible importance to changing China, to getting it back to be the cultural beauty and free society.
My suggestion actually would be to get Secretary Rubio, Vice President Vance and President Trump to meet with Falun Gong leaders or people that have been persecuted and highlight the importance of Falun Gong for freedom in China.”
Professor Robert Destro, former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, drew attention to the CCP’s lucrative and lethal organ transplant abuses:
“The big picture is, you are all commodities [to the CCP]. You’re not just slaves. Remember, this is a chop shop. You’re actually worth more in pieces than you are as a person.”
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, condemned the CCP’s actions in stark terms:
“It’s transnational terrorism as to what they seek to do—to undermine and to hurt people who are just filled with kindness towards others…Falun Gong practitioners are not only victims of a genocidal regime. They are moral exemplars who continue to stand for truth in the face of tyranny.”
Rep. Scott Perry, sponsor of the Falun Gong Protection Act 2025, made it clear that the CCP’s transnational repression will be stopped in America:
“This [CCP] is a criminal organization that terrorizes people, that tortures people, and that murders people for the things that they believe. This is unacceptable in America.”
The forum served as a sobering reminder that the CCP’s campaign against Falun Gong is not only a human rights crisis, but also a threat to national security and the safety of U.S. residents.
Wider recognition and awareness
Support for Falun Gong extended beyond Capitol Hill, as governments across the globe joined in marking the 26th anniversary. Officials from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and other countries voiced their solidarity with Falun Gong practitioners and called for an end to the ongoing human rights abuses. From petitions in public squares to meetings in city halls, a broad chorus of voices called for an end to the Chinese regime’s persecution.
At least two international organizations have issued public statements to mark this anniversary. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a global cross-party coalition of legislators founded in 2020, published a bilingual statement in Chinese and English on its website. Similarly, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, a Montreal-based non-governmental organization, declared:
“We stand in solidarity with the Falun Gong community in Canada and around the world, who continue to endure surveillance, harassment, disinformation, and repression simply for exercising their fundamental rights.”
As part of its ongoing advocacy, the Falun Dafa Information Center called on the U.S. government to increase enforcement against transnational repression, pass the Falun Gong Protection Act, sanction human rights offenders under the Global Magnitsky Act, and ensure protections for vulnerable diaspora communities.
“We must do everything we can to stop the 26-year-long persecution in China once and for all,” said Levi Browde, Executive Director of the Falun Dafa Information Center. “And we need to bolster our defenses here in the U.S. to fend off Beijing’s increasingly sophisticated attempts to target Falun Gong on U.S. soil.”
