CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay and Representative Ngodup Tsering with Senator Tom Cotton in Washington DC.

WASHINGTON DC: Continuing his lobbying visit to Washington DC, CTA President Dr Lobsang Sangay met with several high profile US Congressmen from both houses of the US Congress on the second day of his visit.

President Dr Lobsang Sangay today met with Senator Tom Cotton, one of the closest senators to President Trump. Senator Cotton has been close to the Tibet issue since his freshman days as a member of the US congress and has met President Dr Sangay over four times in less than five years to discuss the Tibet issue and ascertain the situation inside Tibet. He, along with his wife, have also received audiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2014 and 2016.

Dr Sangay met with Senator Lindsey Graham, Chair of Senate Appropriation Committee and representative Nita Lowey, ranking member on the House Committee on Appropriations. The two have played an influential role in appropriating funds for Tibetan programmes in the past and expressed continued funding for the Tibetan community in the future.

Dr Sangay also met with senator Marco Rubio, former Republican Presidential candidate and Representative James McGovern, co chair of the US subcommittee on human rights. During their meeting, President Dr Sangay discussed the Reciprocal Access to Tibet bill introduced by Rep James McGovern in the US Congress earlier this year.

President Dr Sangay further raised awareness on the Middle Way Approach of the Central Tibetan Administration and highlighted the need to resume dialogue with China to resolve the Tibet issue. He also urged the senators and representatives to expedite the appointment of a special coordinator for Tibetan issues in the US State department, which has been left vacant since the new US administration came in.

Besides senators, representatives and high-level US officials, President Dr Sangay also met senior officials of USAID and PRM to ensure continued funding for Tibetan programmes.