Senators Rick Scott and Jeff Merkley introduced the bipartisan No Funds for Forced Labor Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive director at international financial institutions to oppose projects that use forced labor practices, specifically in Communist China’s Xinjiang region known for forced labor. Senator Jeff Merkley said, “Your tax dollars should never inadvertently fund forced labor. This bipartisan bill builds off my Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and ensures the United States is not complicit in horrific human rights abuses. We need to send a strong message against slave labor wherever this evil appears.”
Support and work to pass legislation to require the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive director at international financial institutions to oppose projects that use forced labor practices, including in China's Xinjiang region.
Occurrences
Evidence
U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Jeff Merkley introduced the No Funds for Forced Labor Act, requiring the U.S. Secretary of Treasury to instruct U.S. executive directors at international financial institutions to oppose projects that use forced labor, particularly in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Senator Jeff Merkley co-introduced the Uyghur Genocide and Sanctions Accountability Act of 2025, expanding sanctions and imposing mandatory visa bans on foreign officials involved in forced labor and other human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Senators Jeff Merkley and John Cornyn introduced the Preventing the Forced Return of Uyghurs Act, imposing sanctions on foreign officials involved in the forced deportation of Uyghurs to China.
Assessments
Merkley materially pursued the promise by co-introducing the 2024 No Funds for Forced Labor Act, which directly matched the pledge to require the Treasury Secretary to instruct U.S. executive directors at international financial institutions to oppose projects using forced labor, especially in Xinjiang. He also backed related 2025 Xinjiang/Uyghur forced-labor legislation. But the evidence provided shows introduction and advocacy, not enactment or successful passage of the specific requirement into law. Under the stated rule, a serious legislative attempt without the promised outcome counts as never, with effort credit.
Senator Merkley co-introduced multiple legislative measures targeting forced labor in China's Xinjiang region, including the No Funds for Forced Labor Act, which directly aligns with the promise. However, there is no evidence these bills were passed into law or that the Secretary of Treasury was required to act as prescribed. Effort and legislative priority are clear and sustained, but the final fulfillment—enacting the requirement—is not shown.