WASHINGTON — A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers are urging the government to leverage trade talks with Brunei to convince the country to eliminate new laws that the representatives say violate human rights.

The sultan of Brunei recently began phasing in laws that include death sentences for LGBT people and imprisonment for women who have abortions. The United States is currently negotiating a trade deal with Brunei and 10 other nations, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Led by Wisconsin Democrat Rep. Mark Pocan and Florida Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the group is circulating a letter to members of the House that calls on Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman to force Brunei to "address these human rights issues" before continuing to negotiate with them. Reuters reported that 20 lawmakers, mostly Democrats, have pledged to sign the letter.

"The United States must make it clear that we will not tolerate such abuses," the draft letter reads. "International trade partners have much to gain from an economic relationship with the United States, and our trade agreements should insist that participating countries adhere to internationally recognized civil, political, and human rights standards."

Other Democrats circulating the letter include Reps. Rosa DeLauro, Louise Slaughter, and Henry Waxman.

The State Department previously told BuzzFeed Brunei's laws would not be factored into TPP negotiations, but they would be "closely monitoring how new rules" in Brunei will be implemented.

Brunei's laws were brought into the national spotlight several weeks ago when several Hollywood celebrities publicly supported a boycott of two top Los Angeles hotels owned by the Brunei government.