US lawmakers launch congressional caucus on Myanmar to bolster support for pro-democracy fighters
- Democrat Betty McCollum and Republican Bill Huizenga said the first-ever caucus on the coup-hit nation will ‘address issues impacting the Burmese people across the US’
- They also urged congressional leaders to pay more attention to the crisis in Myanmar since the military seized power three years ago
Chaired by Democrat Betty McCollum of Minnesota and Republican Bill Huizenga from Michigan, the bipartisan caucus aims to bolster congressional support for people in Myanmar fighting against the junta, which deposed the Southeast Asian nation’s democratically-elected leaders on February 1, 2021.
Congressional caucuses are groups of members of Congress who meet to coordinate on common legislative goals. There are often hundreds of caucuses in a given congressional session, though some are more active than others.
“This caucus will serve as an important conduit for Burmese communities across the United States and look for ways to support human rights and democratic representation for the people of Burma,” Huizenga said on Thursday, using Myanmar’s former name of Burma.
The two co-chairs also added in a press release that the caucus will “address and advocate for issues directly impacting Burma, the Burmese people, and Burmese communities … across the United States”.
The humanitarian crisis in the country is at a level that urgently needs attention from congressional leaders, they said.
