US Senate Passes Resolution Declaring Dalai Lama’s Birthday ‘Day of Compassion’ Eight Days After His 90th
DHARAMSALA, 16 July: Exactly 8 days after the Dalai Lama turned 90, the US Senate on Monday passed a unanimous resolution to celebrate 6 July 2025 as a Day of Compassion.
“On 14 July, the US Senate unanimously approved a resolution commemorating the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday on 6th July as a Day of Compassion and reinforcing longstanding US bipartisan support for the Tibetan people,” advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet(ICT) announced on Tuesday.
ICT stated that, “the resolution recognises 6 July 2025 as a Day of Compassion in honour of the Dalai Lama’s birthday, affirms the Tibetan people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms, and reiterates that any attempt by the PRC to interfere in the recognition of a 15th Dalai Lama violates the religious freedom of Tibetan Buddhists.”
The advocacy group thanked Senators Jeff Merkley and Todd Young, who jointly introduced the resolution in the Senate, followed by 10 additional bipartisan co-sponsors.
“The passage of this resolution is a demonstration of America’s deep and enduring support for the Dalai Lama’s message of compassion and non-violence, and for the human rights and democratic freedoms of the Tibetan people,” ICT President Tencho Gyatso said.
Thanking the bipartisan effort, she added, “I must express our heartfelt gratitude to Tibet’s friends in the Senate.”
Though the resolution aligns with the CTA’s Year of Compassion celebration honouring the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday and his mission of spreading compassion and non-violence, it was passed eight days after the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. It was initially introduced in the Senate on 17 June.
Additionally, the House version of the resolution (H.Res.515), introduced on 13 June 2025 and sent to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs that same day, has not yet reached the floor for a vote.
