President Donald Trump is expected to sign two bills intended to support protesters in Hong Kong. The bills were passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Trump has around ten days to respond. Media reports say a person familiar with the matter said he does intend to sign them into law.
The House voted 417 to 1 for the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, and 417 to 0 for the second bill, which would ban the export of certain crowd-control munitions to Hong Kong police forces.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a proud day for Congress.
“Today, the Congress is sending an unmistakable message to the world that the United States stands in solidarity with freedom loving people of Hong Kong. And that we fully support their fight for freedom,” Pelosi said.
The House used an expedited process to quickly act on the Senate bill—rather than trying to reconcile it with a slightly different version which passed last month.
That was the quickest way to approve the legislation before Congress recesses for the Thanksgiving holiday next week.
Beijing on Thursday warned Washington of “strong countermeasures” if Trump signs off on legislation supporting Hong Kong protesters.
