Robert Torricelli: “the decision to allow the elected leadership of Taiwan access to the United States was made when Taiwan decided to have…”

“the decision to allow the elected leadership of Taiwan access to the United States was made when Taiwan decided to have free elections, a free press and pluralistic political systems. This isn't simply an issue to the people of Taiwan. As a matter of policy, the United States should never exclude the elected and legitimate leader of any nation seeking to come to our country. The views of nations with whom we have relations, and those nations that play a disproportionate role in world affairs, should always be heard by our Government. They can, however, never be controlling upon our Government. The Government in Beijing has received all due deference. In the final analysis, it is the policy of the U.S. Government to allow all freely elected governments to come to this country and be heard. The people of the United States do not need to be protected from the views of freely elected peoples. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I want to add that it would be an extraordinary statement that, after receiving in the last decade a range of leaders from Roberto D'Aubuission, the leader of the death squads in El Salvador, to Deng Xiao-ping, the leader of the world's largest totalitarian government, that any freely elected official is denied access to our country. I hope this resolution, House Concurrent Resolution. 53 succeeds in convincing the administration of the strength of our bipartisan views.”