Commemorating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on July 6, 2025, as "A Day of Compassion", and expressing support for the human rights, religious freedom, and cultural and linguistic protection of the Tibetan people.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 515 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 515

Commemorating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on July
  6, 2025, as ``A Day of Compassion'', and expressing support for the
human rights, religious freedom, and cultural and linguistic protection
                         of the Tibetan people.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 13, 2025

 Mr. McCaul (for himself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina,
   Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Lawler, Ms. Schakowsky, Mrs. Kim, and Mr.
 Raskin) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

Commemorating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on July
  6, 2025, as ``A Day of Compassion'', and expressing support for the
human rights, religious freedom, and cultural and linguistic protection
                         of the Tibetan people.

Whereas July 6, 2025, marks the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai
        Lama;
Whereas the 14th Dalai Lama was born in north-eastern Tibet in 1935, was
        enthroned as the 14th incarnation in 1940, and was called upon to assume
        temporal leadership of Tibet in 1950 in response to a tumultuous time as
        the newly established People's Republic of China sent its military to
        seize control of Tibet;
Whereas Communist Party of China Chairman Mao Zedong assured the Dalai Lama that
        Tibet would have autonomy under Chinese rule and conveyed to the Dalai
        Lama that Tibet's unique religious and cultural traditions would be
        respected, and even formalized these assurances in the 17 Point
        Agreement of 1951;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China, led by the Chinese
        Communist Party, steadily eroded Tibet's autonomy to which it committed
        in the Seventeen Point Agreement through repressive political and
        military actions, leading to tension, resistance, and ultimately the
        Dalai Lama's exile in 1959;
Whereas, in March 1959, the Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet after the People's
        Liberation Army began shelling Lhasa and has since then been residing in
        India, along with tens of thousands of Tibetan refugees;
Whereas, for more than seven decades, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has
        significantly advocated for interfaith dialogue, emphasizing tolerance,
        harmony, and respect among major world religions;
Whereas the Dalai Lama has led the effort to preserve the rich and unique
        cultural, religious, historical, and linguistic heritage of the people
        of Tibet while working to safeguard other endangered cultures throughout
        the world;
Whereas the Dalai Lama has been gravely concerned by the degraded state of the
        environment of Tibet and the unchecked exploitation of the natural
        resources of Tibet, including fresh water, because they have
        implications not only for the people of Tibet, but for the whole of
        Asia;
Whereas, beginning in 1979, the Dalai Lama has visited various parts of the
        United States and subsequently gained the admiration of all levels of
        society in the United States;
Whereas the people of the United States have consistently expressed their
        appreciation for the culture and Tibetan Buddhism, including through
        their support of its preservation, and political and diplomatic support
        for the Dalai Lama in his capacity as a spiritual leader;
Whereas there is strong bipartisan support from successive Congresses and
        Administrations for the Dalai Lama and his vision for Tibet and the
        world and for a negotiated resolution between Tibet and China that leads
        to meaningful autonomy for Tibetans that ensures they are able to freely
        practice their religion, culture, and language without repercussions;
Whereas, on October 17, 2007, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to
        the Dalai Lama, finding in the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold
        Medal Act (Public Law 109-287) that he is recognized around the world as
        ``a leading figure of moral and religious authority'' and is ``the
        unrivaled spiritual and cultural leader of the Tibetan people'';
Whereas followers of Tibetan Buddhists in Tibet, the United States, India,
        Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Russia, and elsewhere look to the Dalai Lama
        for religious leadership and spiritual guidance;
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights holds that ``[e]veryone has
        the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,'' including
        the freedom to change religion or belief and to practice it in private
        or public;
Whereas at least 159 Tibetans in Tibet are known to have self-immolated, with
        statements or records left by many of them calling for freedom for Tibet
        and the return of the Dalai Lama;
Whereas, in 1991, section 355 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal
        Years 1992 and 1993 (Public Law 102-138) expressed the sense of Congress
        that Tibet ``is an occupied country under the established principles of
        international law'' and that ``Tibet's true representatives are the
        Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile as recognized by the
        Tibetan people'';
Whereas, in 1961, with the support of the United States, the United Nations
        General Assembly recognized the Tibetan people's ``fundamental human
        rights and freedoms, including the right to self-determination'';
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has interfered in the
        identification and installation of reincarnated leaders of Tibetan
        Buddhism, as part of its efforts to maintain control over Tibet,
        including in 1995 arbitrarily detaining the then-recently identified
        11th Panchen Lama, then a six-year-old boy, and purporting to install
        China's own candidate, Gyaltsen Norbu, as Panchen Lama;
Whereas, in 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama declared that the responsibility for
        identifying a future 15th Dalai Lama will rest with officials of Gaden
        Phodrang, the Dalai Lama's office, and that ``apart from the
        reincarnation recognized through such legitimate methods, no recognition
        or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends
        by anyone, including those in the People's Republic of China'';
Whereas, in 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama initiated a historic devolution of power
        to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in which he formally
        renounced his political role, transferring full democratic governance to
        an elected Tibetan leadership, thereby ensuring a democratic and secular
        political system for the Tibetan people;
Whereas the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (subtitle E of title III of
        division K of Public Law 116-260) was passed, strengthening the landmark
        Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note on December 21, 2020,
        the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020), including by--

    (1) addressing the issue of water security and environmental
destruction in Tibet;

    (2) providing humanitarian assistance and support for Tibetans in Tibet
and in exile;

    (3) stipulating that the objectives of the United States Special
Coordinator for Tibet include promoting ``substantive dialogue without
preconditions between the Government of the People's Republic of China and
the Dalai Lama, his or her representatives, or democratically elected
leaders of the Tibetan community'';

    (4) stating that it is the policy of the United States that ``decisions
regarding the selection, education, and veneration of Tibetan Buddhist
religious leaders are exclusively spiritual matters that should be made by
the appropriate religious authorities within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition
and in the context of the will of practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism'' and
that the wishes of the 14th Dalai Lama ``should play a key role'' in the
selection, education, and veneration of a future 15th Dalai Lama; and

    (5) stating that it is the policy of the United States to hold
accountable, including through the imposition of sanctions, any officials
of the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party who
directly interfere with the identification and installation of a future
Dalai Lama;

Whereas, on July 12, 2024, the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute
        Act (Public Law 118-70) was signed into law, with the Act affirming that
        it is the policy of the United States that the Tibet issue must be
        resolved in accordance with international law by peaceful means, through
        dialogue without preconditions, and that China should cease propagating
        disinformation about Tibet's history, and stating that it is the sense
        of Congress that the People's Republic of China's claims that Tibet has
        been part of the People's Republic of China since ``ancient times'' are
        ``historically inaccurate'';
Whereas the Central Tibetan Administration, the institution that represents and
        reflects to the greatest extent the aspirations of the Tibetan diaspora
        around the world, has officially decided to celebrate the 14th Dalai
        Lama's 90th birth year as the ``Year of Compassion''; and
Whereas the Dalai Lama has highlighted the oneness of humanity and has dedicated
        his life for the promotion of compassion and human values, and is
        considered a leader of compassion by the international community: Now,
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes ``A Day of Compassion'';
            (2) congratulates His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th
        birthday and affirms its recognition of his outstanding
        contributions to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and
        religious understanding;
            (3) affirms the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights
        and freedoms, including their right to self-determination and
        the protection of their distinct religious, cultural,
        linguistic, and national identity;
            (4) reiterates as outlined in the Tibetan Policy and
        Support Act that the identification and installation of Tibetan
        Buddhist religious leaders are within the authority of the
        Tibetan Buddhist faith community, in accordance with their
        inalienable right to religious freedom and a future 15th Dalai
        Lama is a matter that should be determined solely by the
        present 14th Dalai Lama;
            (5) reiterates that any attempt by the Government of the
        People's Republic of China to identify or install Tibetan
        Buddhist religious leaders, including a future 15th Dalai Lama,
        is invalid interference in the right to religious freedom of
        Tibetan Buddhists around the world, including in Tibet and in
        the United States; and
            (6) encourages that this resolution be presented to His
        Holiness the Dalai Lama as an expression of esteem and respect.
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