Representative Tran Issues Statement Following Vote on House Resolution 58
Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Derek Tran (CA-45) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted on House Resolution 58:
“The horrors of communist dictatorship are personal to me. My father lost his first wife and four of his children when he fled communist Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. As a member of Congress, I have been unafraid to stand against communist and socialist governments that flagrantly violate human rights. I’ve pressured the Trump Administration to demand the release of Vietnamese prisoners of conscience, such as Le Huu Minh Tuan.
“As the son of Vietnamese refugees, it is my duty to bring the story of the Vietnamese diaspora to the halls of Congress. I proposed an amendment to House Resolution 58 to include a denunciation of the horrors of the Vietnamese communist regime. Unfortunately, the majority refused to consider my amendment, signaling that this resolution is not a serious effort to stand against communist brutality, but a political ploy to divide us.
“These regimes have killed millions of people, ripped families apart, and caused unimaginable suffering. Equating these regimes with vital services like Medicaid, SNAP, and Social Security is a disservice to those who have suffered under the brutality of communism. My work to counter the scourge of communism is too important to reduce it to a partisan punching bag.”
Representative Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees who fled oppressive communist Vietnam following the fall of Saigon in 1975. He has fiercely advocated for the release of Le Huu Minh Tuan, a Vietnamese journalist and activist who was detained by Vietnamese authorities for expressing opposition to human rights abuses in Vietnam. Tran serves as Mr. Tuan’s official sponsor through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project, which formally allows Members of Congress to shine a light on prisoners of conscience across the world and urges accountability for unjust treatment. As his sponsor, Representative Tran wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting immediate assistance in ensuring Le Huu Minh Tuan’s freedom.
As the only Vietnamese American currently serving in Congress, and the first to represent California’s 45th Congressional District – home to the largest Vietnamese diaspora in the world – Representative Tran is committed to preserving and uplifting his community’s history on the national stage. In September, Representative Tran introduced a Congressional resolution honoring the significance of the Vietnamese heritage flag as an emblem of cultural identity, freedom, and the struggle for democracy and human rights. Tran also introduced a Congressional resolution recognizing June 19, 2025, as Veterans of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day in honor of the Vietnamese and American soldiers who fought alongside each other in the name of freedom and democracy. He also co-led H.R. 3122, the bipartisan Vietnam Human Rights Act, to hold Vietnamese communist officials accountable for human rights abuses and establish human rights and fair-trade priorities for U.S.-Vietnam relations. In April, Tran held a series of events in commemoration of the anniversary of the fall of Saigon, known as Black April, and introduced a Congressional resolution recognizing April 30, 2025, as the 50th Anniversary of Black April.
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Congressman Derek Tran represents California’s 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.