[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 7, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H3455-H3457]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TAIWAN ASSURANCE ACT OF 2019

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2002) to foster security in Taiwan, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2002

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Taiwan Assurance Act of 
     2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) April 10, 2019, marks the 40th anniversary of the 
     Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 (Public Law 96-8).
       (2) Since 1949, the close relationship between the United 
     States and Taiwan has benefitted both parties and the broader 
     Indo-Pacific region.

[[Page H3456]]

       (3) The security of Taiwan and its democracy are key 
     elements of continued peace and stability of the greater 
     Indo-Pacific region, which is in the political, security, and 
     economic interests of the United States.
       (4) The People's Republic of China is currently engaged in 
     a comprehensive military modernization campaign to enhance 
     the power-projection capabilities of the People's Liberation 
     Army and its ability to conduct joint operations, which is 
     shifting the military balance of power across the Taiwan 
     Strait.
       (5) Taiwan and its diplomatic partners continue to face 
     sustained pressure and coercion from the People's Republic of 
     China, which seeks to isolate Taiwan from the international 
     community.
       (6) It is the policy of the United States to reinforce its 
     commitments to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act in a 
     manner consistent with the ``Six Assurances'' and in 
     accordance with the United States ``One China'' policy.
       (7) In the Taiwan Travel Act, which became law on March 16, 
     2018, Congress observed that the ``self-imposed restrictions 
     that the United States maintains on high-level visits'' 
     between the United States and Taiwan have resulted in 
     insufficient high-level communication.

     SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) Taiwan is a vital part of the United States Free and 
     Open Indo-Pacific Strategy;
       (2) the United States Government--
       (A) supports Taiwan's continued pursuit of asymmetric 
     capabilities and concepts; and
       (B) urges Taiwan to increase its defense spending in order 
     to fully resource its defense strategy; and
       (3) the United States should conduct regular sales and 
     transfers of defense articles to Taiwan in order to enhance 
     its self-defense capabilities, particularly its efforts to 
     develop and integrate asymmetric capabilities, including 
     undersea warfare and air defense capabilities, into its 
     military forces.

     SEC. 4. TAIWAN'S INCLUSION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the People's Republic of China's attempts to dictate the 
     terms of Taiwan's participation in international 
     organizations, has, in many cases, resulted in Taiwan's 
     exclusion from such organizations even when statehood is not 
     a requirement, and that such exclusion--
       (1) is detrimental to global health, civilian air safety, 
     and efforts to counter transnational crime;
       (2) negatively impacts the safety and security of citizens 
     globally; and
       (3) negatively impacts the security of Taiwan and its 
     democracy.
       (b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United 
     States to advocate for Taiwan's meaningful participation in 
     the United Nations, the World Health Assembly, the 
     International Civil Aviation Organization, the International 
     Criminal Police Organization, and other international bodies, 
     as appropriate, and to advocate for Taiwan's membership in 
     the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations 
     Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and other 
     international organizations for which statehood is not a 
     requirement for membership.

     SEC. 5. REVIEW OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE TAIWAN GUIDELINES.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     conduct a review of the Department of State's guidance that 
     governs relations with Taiwan, including the periodic 
     memorandum entitled ``Guidelines on Relations with Taiwan'' 
     and related documents, and reissue such guidance to executive 
     branch departments and agencies.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Department of State's guidance regarding relations with 
     Taiwan--
       (1) should be crafted with the intent to deepen and expand 
     United States-Taiwan relations, and be based on the value, 
     merits, and importance of the United States-Taiwan 
     relationship;
       (2) should be crafted giving due consideration to the fact 
     that Taiwan is governed by a representative democratic 
     government that is peacefully constituted through free and 
     fair elections that reflect the will of the people of Taiwan, 
     and that Taiwan is a free and open society that respects 
     universal human rights and democratic values; and
       (3) should ensure that the conduct of relations with Taiwan 
     reflects the longstanding, comprehensive, and values-based 
     relationship the United States shares with Taiwan, and 
     contribute to the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.
       (c) Reporting Requirements.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
     shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report that includes a description of--
       (1) the results of the review pursuant to subsection (a) of 
     the Department of State's guidance on relations with Taiwan, 
     including a copy of the reissued ``Guidelines of Relations 
     with Taiwan'' memorandum; and
       (2) the implementation of the Taiwan Travel Act (Public Law 
     115-135) and any changes to guidance on relations with Taiwan 
     that are the result of such implementation.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Sires) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 2002, the Taiwan Assurance Act of 
2019.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of H.R. 2002, the Taiwan Assurance Act of 
2019.
  Last month, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan 
Relations Act, so it is fitting that we are standing here today to 
bring two important measures to the floor, including this one, to 
affirm the unwavering, bipartisan congressional support for Taiwan.
  Taiwan serves as a steadfast and significant partner to the United 
States, not just in the Indo-Pacific, but also around the world. It 
makes substantial contributions to the international community by 
tackling global challenges, from combating terrorism to promoting 
public health; and it holds close the values we cherish the most, 
standing as a beacon of democracy in Asia.
  However, over the years, China has attempted to weaken Taiwan's 
standing in the world. It has restricted Taiwan's access to 
international organizations and poached its diplomatic allies, and it 
has attempted to shape the way the United States conducts its 
relationship with Taiwan, a dynamic we have, regretfully, allowed.
  We must not--we cannot--stand for this. We cannot sit idly by and 
allow one of our most valued democratic partners to be sidelined on the 
world stage. It is time to revisit the guidelines we use in the conduct 
of our relationship with Taiwan and ensure that the United States is 
doing all it can to fulfill our commitments to Taiwan.
  That is why I am proud to support and cosponsor the Taiwan Assurance 
Act. This measure asks the State Department to take a closer look at 
self-imposed guidelines we follow with Taiwan and assess them based on 
merit, not on what would appease China.
  As proud co-chair of the Taiwan Caucus, I strongly support the 
passage of H.R. 2002, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of the Taiwan Assurance Act, a bill introduced to 
deepen and expand U.S.-Taiwan relations. I want to thank Chairman Engel 
and all those on the other side of the aisle and the gentleman from New 
Jersey for agreeing to be the lead Democratic cosponsors of this 
important bill that deepens our ties with Taiwan.
  Of note, the bill urges the State Department to eliminate self-
imposed restrictions on U.S. diplomatic interactions with Taiwan and to 
provide Congress access to those policies for the first time.
  Prior administrations have applied unnecessary and arbitrary 
restrictions on their own interactions with officials from Taiwan. At 
times, these restrictions expanded, apparently in response to 
complaints by Communist China.
  As the body that produced the Taiwan Relations Act, it is necessary 
and appropriate for Congress to have awareness and a say in how these 
policies are made. They go well beyond what is required by the 
carefully crafted TRA, which does not even state that U.S.-Taiwan 
relations are unofficial.
  Since the TRA was enacted in 1979, Taiwan's Government has evolved 
into a vibrant democracy, while the Chinese Government has become more 
and more authoritarian.
  It is improper to restrict relations with Taiwan to avoid offending 
the Chinese Communist Party, and it is out of step with reality to keep 
pretending that Taiwan is anything other than a fully functioning 
democracy.
  Taiwan deserves a more elevated relationship with the United States, 
and I urge my colleagues to join me in rewarding Taiwan's commitment to 
democracy by supporting the Taiwan Assurance Act.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would just like to, once again, thank 
Chairman

[[Page H3457]]

Engel and the entire Foreign Affairs Committee for their enthusiastic 
support of this measure and their support for the democracy of Taiwan.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I urge my colleagues to support this measure. This is an important 
bill that demonstrates our historical bipartisan support for Taiwan, 
and so, as co-chair of the Taiwan Caucus, I strongly promote the 
immediate passage of H.R. 2002.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Taiwan Assurance Act and to recognize the 40th Anniversary of the 
Taiwan Relations Act. Taiwan has made great strides over the past forty 
years becoming a beacon of democracy and individual freedom.
  The Taiwan Assurance Act reaffirms the United States' strong 
commitment to Taiwan, and takes necessary steps to ensure that the 
friendship between the people of the United States and Taiwan continues 
to grow. Furthermore, this bill recognizes Taiwan's contributions in 
various areas such as global health and makes it the policy of the 
United States to advocate for Taiwan's inclusion in the United Nations 
and other international organizations such as the World Health 
Assembly.
  It was an honor to travel to Taiwan last month with a few of my 
colleagues to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Taiwan Relations 
Act and to witness the opening of the new facility for the American 
Institute in Taiwan.
  While our relationship remains unofficial, enacted legislation such 
as the Taiwan Travel Act will allow high level officials from both 
governments to travel and meet with their counterparts, allowing both 
parties to foster and strengthen the important relationship we share.
  Mr. Speaker, in these rapidly changing times across the world, it is 
important and even more necessary for us to recognize and appreciate 
our allies who carry a strong belief in democracy and human rights. 
Taiwan is a prime example of that and I commend them for the progress 
they have made over the past forty years. I look forward to seeing this 
relationship continue and strengthen over time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2002.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________