?tlnittd genus c%rnatr WASHINGTON. DC 20510 July 23,2019 The Honorable Mike Pompeo Secretary of State U.S. Department of State 2201 Street, NW. Washington, DC. 20520 Dear Secretary Pompeo: We write to express our deep concern about your announcement on July 8, 2019 of a Commission on Unalienable Rights (?the Commission?), established pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C App. (FACA). Prior to the announcement, several of our colleagues in the Senate and the House sent you multiple information requests regarding the commission over the course of many weeks. Your response to those inquiries arrived at our of?ces on July 8, 2019, at the exact moment you made the formal announcement from the State Department podium. Your letter failed to fully answer questions about the Commission?s purpose, membership, and formation and consequently, we and the signers below have additional concerns. When asserting that the new commission is needed, you said that proliferating human rights claims have created confusion over what ?rights are? and that it will provide you with ?fresh thinking" about human rights discourse. We vehemently disagree that there is any ?confusion? over what human rights are. The 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights begins by declaring that the recognition of the equal and inalienable rights ?of all members of the human family is the foundation of the freedom, justice and peace.? Moreover, widely rati?ed international treaties codify ?inalienable? rights. Rather, it seems that the administration is reluctant?or even hostile?to protecting established, internationally recognized de?nitions of human rights, particularly those requiring it to uphold protections for reproductive rights and the rights of marginalized communities, including LGBT persons. The assertion that decades of well-de?ned agreement on human rights has sown confusion over what rights are is simply an Orwellian twist to defend the indefensible. Attempts to veil this initiative as protecting America?s founding principles or to ?revitalize? international human rights protections are absurd, particularly from an administration that has taken a wrecking ball to America?s global leadership on promoting human rights across the world. Indeed, the list is stunning: the administration continues to support despotic governments abroad while simultaneously ignoring the devastating abuses and rights of children and families on our border. Instead of condemning gross human rights violators, President Trump has fawned over Kim ong-un, embraced Vladimir Putin, praised Rodrigo Duterte, looked the other way as Xi inping imprisons millions, and covered up for Mohammed Bin Salman. The President. 11 personal affection for. those who have trampled on human rights. has stained America moral tabriG. No State Department commission can Grase that, and no. State Department commission should be allowed to legitim1ze or rationalize. such a cynical and- corrosive approach taken by- this. President ..to the exceptional ideas and ideals. that have. made our nation new body designed to limit human rights we Inecd the. State Department and its Secretary to champion human rights by Standing. up for America values and by using the. iramework that already exists and whiGh prior administrations hare championed for decades regardless of. party. As the. Department is. surely aware: advisory'c'ommitte'es ?must be fairly balanced in its membership .and in terms of the points of 1t?iew represented and functionsSections 102- 3. 30 We. are alarmed that a signi?Gant maiorit3 of the 10 members of. the Commission do not re?ect the dis Grisity of views required for anybody tasked with. advising the Secretary on human rights The Commission 3 chair and members are overwhelmingly clergy or scholars knoWn to support discr?iininatorj policies towards LGBT persons hold views hostile to women- 3 rights and reproductive treedoms .an?dfor support positions at odds. with S.- treaty- obligations. We. are also concerned that during the many months before the Commission was announced, there. was 1111 Consultation or input from. career human rights experts working in the State Department 5 own Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights.- and Labor (DRL). Indeed, this Commission appears to he an attempt to circumvent the Department 5 own foreign policy and human- rights experts in an effort to pick and choose which rights the United States will respect and p1 emote If you wish to elicit the -31ieWs of foreign polic3? and human rights experts you have a plethora. of them at your ?ngert_i_.ps Frankly, this redundant and duplicatit?e. commission. is a waste of tax payer resources. ?Ihose. funds would be. better spent assessing the consequences of the administration failure to meet basic human rights.- obliGations, rather than limiting. or rede?mn those. 11 ghtsII As?part of-Congress? role in ensuring compliance with PACA, werejquest the Department. provider the toI'any. further action 11?ith regard to the. Commission: 1. A detailed explanation-Gf'how the Cemmission?spurpose is differentii?omDRL?s . Purpose 2. Adescription-o'f prior. and- planned involvement in the Commission;- 3. The. criteria-111G Department used to. select the commission Members; and 4-.- According to your statement on July-12, 2019 the Commission will produce a written. product for the. State. Department to guide thinking about. America 5. place .111 the world. When- will the written product be completed? Wiil DRL, and Congress be consulted. prior to- its release"?- Ho'w will the-productbe used at. the State-Deparhnent and within the goitermnent? We will continue to standu'p for-the. critical mission oi?pro'te'ctin'g? human rights 1111:1111 people. Werhopethat. under :your Department wi 11 protect and advance human rights consistent with hing?standing Ame?rioan will. demonstrate-the global leadership that tho world can and. should expectfrom the United States, Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter- 8 inc lately, RobertMonondoz United States S'Enotor Christopher A, Coons. United Statics Senator Richard Bilumonthal Unit?d'StateS Senator Elizabeth Warren United States" Senator Tina Smith United-?States Senator Kirsten E, 'Gillibrzind United {States Senator. Patrick Lcahy United-States Senator Tammy Duokwo?h Uhit'ed-Stat'eS Senator- Kamala D. Harris United. States" Senator aok Reed Unit?det?tes- Sonator Chris VaoHoIlen "Senator Jeanne. Shahecn United States Senator Edward]. Markey United States-Senator Amy Klo'buohar United States. Senator Cory A. Booker United S-tates- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse United .Sfates- Senator Michaet- F. Bonnet United States= Senator Benjamin L. Cardin: United States Senator Patty Murray- 'Un'ited State's" Senator Jeffrey'A. MerkleY- United States Senator Tammy" Baldwin- 'U'nited States Senator Ron Wyden United State St on ator Bernard 8 antlers United States 5Senator