Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 88, reaffirming the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances as the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations. As a co-Chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, I want to thank my colleague and founding co-Chair of the Taiwan Caucus, Steve Chabot, for introducing this measure. When discussing the origins, stakeholders, and impact of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), it is important to note the significant role Congress played in amending the draft legislation the Executive Branch proposed for the maintenance of unofficial relations with Taiwan. I want to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for working with me on an amendment to H. Con. Res. 88 that credits Congress with significantly strengthening the TRA and the codified U.S. commitment to Taiwan. The draft legislative text proposed by the Executive Branch published in the March 1979 Department of State Bulletin included three simple titles to provide the legal authority for the maintenance of commercial, cultural, and other relations with Taiwan. However, the Taiwan Relations Act enacted into law bears little resemblance to the text published in the March 1979 Bulletin. Through the legislative process in both the House of Representatives and Senate, Congress left its mark on our enduring commitment to Taiwan in several ways, most notably by adding the security commitments made in Section 2(b)(5) and Section 3 of the TRA. The U.S.…”