{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-cruz-resolution-demanding-that-china-release-pastor-ezra-jin-and-other-leaders-of-zion-church", "Senate Passes Cruz Resolution Demanding That China Release Pastor Ezra Jin and Other Leaders of Zion Church", "2025-11-12", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", "cruz", "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and their colleagues issued statements following Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the abduction of Pastor Ezra Jin and other leaders of the Zion Church and calling for their release.\n\nSen. Cruz said, \u201cChristians are fighting daily for their religious freedom against the Chinese Communist Party. Last month, the CCP carried out its largest nationwide crackdown in over four decades against a Christian house church in China. I\u2019m grateful to Senator Coons and my colleagues for standing with me to demand Pastor Jin and his congregation\u2019s release and to make clear that any government that fears faith is tyrannical.\u201d\n\nSen. Coons said, \u201cEveryone deserves the right to practice their religion freely without fear. I\u2019m glad the Senate passed this bipartisan resolution to call for the Chinese government to release Pastor Jin, Ekpar Asat, and all political and religious prisoners.\u201d\n\nSens. Cruz and Coons were joined by cosponsors Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Jim Justice (R-W. Va.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).\n\nSen. Capito said, \u201cThe Chinese Communist Party\u2019s campaign of repression against Christians, including the targeting of churches such as the Zion Church, is a violation of fundamental religious freedom rights. I am glad to see the resolution condemning the CCP for abducting leaders of the Christian leaders, which I co-sponsored, has passed the Senate. This sends a clear message: faith is not a crime, and the United States condemns the recent alarming arrests of church leaders by CCP authorities.\u201d\n\nSen. Shaheen said, \u201cThe Chinese Communist Party\u2019s persecution of religious minority groups, including Christians, Muslims and Buddhists is a violation of basic human rights. The detention of Pastor Ezra Jin and leaders of the Zion Church are another chilling reminder of the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s relentless campaign to silence religious minorities. I\u2019m proud to join this bipartisan resolution demanding their release and reaffirming America\u2019s commitment to promote religious freedom and tolerance.\u201d\n\nSen. Grassley said, \u201cThe abduction of Pastor Ezra Jin and the ongoing religious persecution against Christians in China is a tragedy and a violation to individual rights and freedoms. I strongly condemn the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s continued religious persecution of Christians, as well as believers of other faiths, and will continue to advocate for those being unfairly silenced. I\u2019m pleased the Senate passed our resolution unanimously.\u201d\n\nSen. Kaine said, \u201cIn 1786, the Virginia General Assembly passed a statute that created the foundation for religious freedom in America. Our example is a beacon to the world, and the freedom to practice your faith \u2013 including the right to not practice any faith at all \u2013 is a fundamental human right. In China, the state\u2019s crackdown on the Zion Church is part of a broader pattern of the systematic suppression of any religious authority or group seen as independent of the state. I am proud that this bipartisan resolution passed the Senate, sending a strong message statement of support for human rights and religious freedom.\u201d\n\nSen. Tim Scott said, \u201cThe Chinese Communist Party\u2019s targeting of Pastor Jin and the Zion Church is an attack on the God-given right to live out one\u2019s faith. I\u2019m pleased the Senate passed this bipartisan resolution condemning China\u2019s persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, and I call for the immediate release of all those arrested. The United States stands with the persecuted and is committed to defending religious freedom.\u201d\n\nSen. Cassidy said, \u201cFaith isn\u2019t a crime. We need to call out China for once more targeting people of faith.\u201d\n\nSen. Rick Scott said, \u201cI\u2019m proud to see the Senate\u2019s passage of our resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s (CCP) brutal persecution of people of faith. The CCP\u2019s record of religious oppression, including the unjust arrest of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri and members of the Zion Church, is evil and unacceptable. With this bipartisan action, America is making clear our commitment to defend religious freedom as a basic human right and to stand up for all who are persecuted for their faith. I\u2019ll continue working with my colleagues to hold the CCP accountable and demand the release of Pastor Jin and all those imprisoned simply for worshipping God.\u201d\n\nSen. Wicker said, \u201cThe United States has led the world in religious freedom, standing against tyrannical regimes like the People\u2019s Republic of China. We must speak the truth about the regime\u2019s evil crackdown on Christians and other religious groups. We will not stop advocating for those living under the thumb of Xi Jinping\u2019s oppression.\u201d\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.-06).\n\nRep. Barr said, \u201cChina needs to release Pastor Jin and stop persecuting Christians for practicing their faith. Until then, Senator Cruz and I will keep rallying our House and Senate colleagues to condemn this atrocity and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable.\u201d\n\nRead the resolution here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nOn October 10, 2025, the Chinese Communist Party conducted the largest coordinated, nationwide crackdown against a Christian urban house church in over four decades. At least 22 pastors and church members from Zion Church, one of China\u2019s largest underground congregations, were arrested, including a prominent pastor and the founder of Zion Church, Pastor \u201cEzra\u201d Jin Mingri.\n\nIn March 2025, Senator Cruz introduced the Falun Gong Protection Act to combat the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s state-sponsored organ harvesting and to safeguard the religious freedom and human rights of Falun Gong practitioners.\n\nIn 2024, Sen. Cruz introduced a resolution recognizing the 65th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising to honor the struggle of the Tibetan people and the Dalai Lama for religious freedom and human rights.\n\nIn 2021, Sen. Cruz issued a statement following the advancement of two of his initiatives from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the Strategic Competition Act to hold accountable Chinese officials who are responsible for the genocide of the Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-cruz-resolution-demanding-that-china-release-pastor-ezra-jin-and-other-leaders-of-zion-church"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8542388677597046, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}