[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 176 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H7287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMENDING PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP'S PHONE CALL TO PRESIDENT TSAI

  (Mr. BARTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise for two reasons today.
  First, I honor the life of my father, Larry L. Barton. He died on 
this date, December 7, 1996. He was a World War II veteran and a B-24 
Liberator navigator. He was based in Italy and flew 40 combat missions 
over Central Europe.
  I also rise to commend President-elect Trump for his phone call to 
the President of Taiwan, President Tsai. Taiwan is a friend of the 
United States. We recognized Taiwan from the late 1940s to 1972. We 
then recognized Mainland China but maintained diplomatic relationships 
with Taiwan until 1978. President-elect Trump was right to make a phone 
call to President Tsai. They are a friend of the United States. In my 
opinion, there is no reason we can't have diplomatic relations with 
both nations. I am told that President Tsai is going to come through 
Texas in the fall on her way to Guatemala. I will welcome her if that 
trip occurs and will try to give her the hospitality that she gave me 
when I visited her great nation last month.
  A phone call is a phone call, Mr. Speaker. I commend the President-
elect for calling President Tsai. I hope this means a warming of a 
relationship with Taiwan.

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