Patricia Zengerle & Michael Martina

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives is set to consider a bill as soon as next week that would ban imports from China’s Xinjiang region over concerns about forced labor, Representative Jim McGovern, the bill’s sponsor, told reporters on Thursday.

McGovern stated that “The week ahead is crucial for human rights.” “… We believe it is important to push some China legislation. “The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, we would like to see it get passed in some form.”

Next week President Joe Biden will host a summit for democracies. This is an attempt to counter China’s increasing influence.

Since months Republicans and Democrats have been at odds over Uyghur legislation. Recenty, Marco Rubio (Republican Senator) has demanded the inclusion of the measure as an amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA. This delay will prevent the Senate from considering the enormous annual bill that establishes policy for Pentagon.

Rubio’s office didn’t immediately reply to my request for comment about McGovern’s bill being passed in the House. This would have changed his stance regarding the defense bill.

If the Uyghur legislation becomes law, there will be a “rebuttable presumed” that goods imported from Xinjiang by the Chinese government, which has created a network of detention camps in China for Uyghurs as well as other Muslim groups, were produced with forced labor.

China claims that there were no abuses at Xinjiang. This is where most of the materials used in solar panels are produced. However, the U.S. government, and rights organizations, claim Beijing has committed genocide.

Republicans accused Biden’s Democrats that they slowed down the passage of the legislation to prevent it from complicating President Barack Obama’s plans for renewable energy. Democrats refute that.

Dan Kildee (Democratic Representative) told Reuters that he wanted to hear a more assertive approach regarding forced labor in Xinjiang. Kildee also stated in a telephone interview that he believes domestic solar panel production could be increased.