Bob Schaffer: “just 3 days ago I had the opportunity to meet in Los Angeles with Governor Annette Lu, who is one of the regional…”

“just 3 days ago I had the opportunity to meet in Los Angeles with Governor Annette Lu, who is one of the regional governors in Taiwan and also a vice-presidential candidate under the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. The election that she is involved in will be concluded on March 18th. We had about a half hour of conversation about this very issue. In that conversation, she was very direct in pointing out the importance of this Congress, speaking forcefully and boldly with respect to our relationship with Taiwan and our support for self-determination in Taiwan. Mr. Speaker, from the perspective of this Congress, we really have not been ambivalent over the years about where we stand, where the people of the United States stand. That position, however, has been obscured somewhat by various diplomatic decisions that have been made, statements coming out of the White House and others. So it is important, I submit, to restate with further clarity and further definition our alliance with the people of Taiwan, our unification and our belief that democracy works, that freedom is always better than the tyranny of an oppressive political form of government, and, particularly at this time, where the people of Taiwan are poised to make a decision of paramount importance about their own individual future, their own individual liberty.”