Bob Menendez: “I thank the Senator. Mr. President, I love your booming voice. I just want to come to the floor very quickly. I look…”

“I thank the Senator. Mr. President, I love your booming voice. I just want to come to the floor very quickly. I look forward to working with Chairman Wyden so we can forge even stronger economic ties between the United States and Taiwan. As Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Democratic cochair of the Senate-Taiwan caucus, I can tell you that such efforts are deeply important to U.S. businesses and our economic and national security. I reviewed the United States-Taiwan 21st Century Trade First Agreement Implementation Act. It reasserts important Congressional prerogatives with which I agree, and I appreciate Chairman Wyden's leadership in this regard. I want to just add this point: If we truly want to help our businesses and if we are committed to taking our economic ties with Taiwan to the next level, we have to pass the Taiwan tax agreement. Taiwan has made clear that they want a tax agreement with the United States, and U.S. businesses want a tax agreement with Taiwan, but there is a gap in the law that means there can be no agreement unless there is some new legislation. The Taiwan Tax Agreement Act eliminates this gap. It sets into motion an agreement with Taiwan that matches the substance of the commitments we have with our partners around the world, and it does so consistent with our Taiwan Relations Act.…”