WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), alongside her colleagues Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), Andre Carson (IN-07), Emily Randall (WA-06), and Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) sent a letter to Secretary Rubio expressing deep concern over recent changes to the U.S. government’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and requesting documents related to political interference in the writing of the reports.
“We write to express our deep concern regarding the integrity of the U.S. government’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For decades, these reports have been a cornerstone of American foreign policy—recognized globally as objective, credible, and indispensable tools for Congress, policymakers, and the international community to assess human rights conditions worldwide,” wrote Ansari and her colleagues.
The lawmakers continued, “We are particularly disturbed by the timing of these changes which seem to coincide with specific bribes and political favors to President Trump, including the softening of language related to Qatar while the President accepts a $400 million jet from that government in a stunning act of corruption and El Salvador following agreements with President Bukele over the deportation of individuals from the U.S. to maximum security detention in that country.”
This letter is endorsed by Foreign Policy for America.
“This is yet another sign of the Trump Administration's extraordinary weakness in the face of Russia, China, and other authoritarian governments,” said Andrew Albertson, Executive Director of Foreign Policy for America. “For decades, these reports have been a strategic piece of the United States' toolkit for protecting individual freedoms and to slowly building the kind of world in which American democracy can flourish. Why throw all that away and why now?"
Read their full letter HERE and below.
Dear Secretary Rubio,
We write to express our deep concern regarding the integrity of the U.S. government’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For decades, these reports have been a cornerstone of American foreign policy—recognized globally as objective, credible, and indispensable tools for Congress, policymakers, and the international community to assess human rights conditions worldwide.
Yet recent changes made by this Administration and the State Department threaten to undermine both their purpose and credibility. By inserting politics and favoritism into what has historically been a rigorous, fact-based process, these changes risk eroding trust in U.S. leadership on human rights and diminishing the reports’ value as a reliable resource for advocates and governments alike.
Most egregiously, the omission of entire categories of human rights violations—such as discrimination against LGBTQI people and communities—and the softening of language regarding abuses by certain favorable governments is appalling. This appears to be a deliberate attempt to whitewash the records of nations with whom the Trump Administration has aligned its political interests, while amplifying criticisms of others.
We are particularly disturbed by the timing of these changes which seem to coincide with specific bribes and political favors to President Trump, including the softening of language related to Qatar while the President accepts a $400 million jet from that government in a stunning act of corruption and El Salvador following agreements with President Bukele over the deportation of individuals from the U.S. to maximum security detention in that country.
The American people deserve and Congress relies on a State Department that prioritizes objectivity over political expediency. We respectfully request written responses to the following questions no later than November 12, 2025. In addition, we urge you to take immediate steps to restore the comprehensiveness and integrity of the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and to reaffirm the United States’ longstanding commitment to a foreign policy consistently grounded in the defense of universal human rights.
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Were any directives, instructions, or guidance issued by senior leadership within the State Department that explicitly instructed staff to alter, omit, or soften language related to human rights abuses by partners such as Turkey, Hungary, Pakistan, Qatar, or El Salvador in the recently released Country Reports on Human Rights Practices?
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What changes, if any, were made to the internal style guides or instruction manuals for drafting Country Reports on Human Rights Practices after January 20, 2025, particularly regarding references to LGBTQI rights, sex characteristics, or terminology associated with gender identity and sexual orientation?
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To what extent did political appointees within the State Department intervene in the editing process of Country Reports on Human Rights Practices related to countries of particular political sensitivity to the White House, such as Qatar, Russia, Turkey, or South Africa?
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What justifications, if any, were provided internally for the reported omission or minimization of language on systemic discrimination, extrajudicial killings, or anti-LGBTQI persecution in the Country Reports released in 2025?
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Did any officials or staff raise concerns internally about the accuracy, politicization, or integrity of the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released in 2025? If so, how were those concerns addressed by Department leadership?
Thank you for your prompt attention to this critical matter.
Sincerely,
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