[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 214 (Thursday, December 17, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 804--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE 
 UNITED STATES SHOULD INITIATE NEGOTIATIONS TO ENTER INTO A FREE TRADE 
                         AGREEMENT WITH TAIWAN

  Mr. TOOMEY (for himself, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Cramer, Mr. 
Hoeven, Mr. Young, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Sasse, Mr. Cornyn, Mrs. 
Blackburn, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Johnson, 
Mr. Cruz, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Braun, Mr. Scott 
of South Carolina, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Daines, Mr. Barrasso, Mrs. Capito, 
and Mr. Lee) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Finance:

                              S. Res. 804

       Whereas, pursuant to section 2(b)(1) of the Taiwan 
     Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301(b)(1)), it is the policy of the 
     United States to ``promote extensive, close, and friendly 
     commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people 
     of the United States and the people on Taiwan'';
       Whereas the friendship between the United States and Taiwan 
     is based on a shared commitment to individual and economic 
     freedom, shared values, and an appreciation for the blessings 
     of liberty and democracy;
       Whereas the United States and Taiwan enjoy a robust trade 
     partnership, marked by the exchange of goods and services and 
     international travel;
       Whereas Taiwan has shown an interest in strengthening its 
     economic relationship with the United States by investing in 
     technology manufacturing facilities located within the United 
     States and agreeing to lift restrictions on the importation 
     of certain United States agricultural products;
       Whereas Taiwan has demonstrated a commitment to protecting 
     intellectual property and individual freedom by serving as a 
     leader in the responsible development of technology, as 
     evidenced through a Joint Declaration on 5G Security 
     announced between the American Institute in Taiwan and the 
     Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in August 
     2020;
       Whereas Taiwan has played an integral role in the global 
     supply chain during the coronavirus disease 2019 (commonly 
     known as ``COVID-19'') pandemic, producing mass amounts of 
     masks at the time when masks were most scarce and ensuring 
     that this critical tool was available to individuals around 
     the world;
       Whereas the United States has consistently supported 
     peaceful relations between Taiwan and the People's Republic 
     of China, and respected the provisions of both the Taiwan 
     Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) and the Six Assurances 
     offered by President Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982;
       Whereas the People's Republic of China has shown a 
     hostility to Taiwan, aggressively asserting its military 
     power, using coercive economic measures to keep Taiwan 
     economically dependent on the People's Republic of China, and 
     seeking to isolate Taiwan from the rest of the world;
       Whereas the policy of the United States is to advance a 
     free and open Indo-Pacific region, and achieving that vision 
     must include working with like-minded countries in the region 
     to liberalize trade;
       Whereas the United States is currently Taiwan's 2nd largest 
     trading partner, and Taiwan is the 10th largest trading 
     partner of the United States in goods and 11th largest 
     trading partner overall;
       Whereas Taiwan has been a member of the World Trade 
     Organization since 2002;
       Whereas bilateral trade in goods between Taiwan and the 
     United States increased from $62,000,000,000 in 2010 to 
     $86,000,000,000 in 2019, according to the United States 
     Census Bureau;
       Whereas Taiwan's foreign direct investment stock in the 
     United States was $11,100,000,000 as of 2019;
       Whereas trade with Taiwan supports an estimated 208,000 
     United States jobs according to estimates of the United 
     States Department of Commerce as of 2015;
       Whereas closer engagement with Taiwan through trade 
     negotiations would encourage even greater access to Taiwan's 
     market and would benefit both security and economic growth 
     for the United States, Taiwan, and the Indo-Pacific region;
       Whereas it is essential that a free trade agreement 
     negotiated between the United States and Taiwan lower tariff 
     and nontariff barriers to trade, including meaningfully 
     expanded access to agricultural markets and ensuring that 
     science-based standards govern international trade in animals 
     and animal products;
       Whereas the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and 
     Accountability Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4201 et seq.) enables 
     the President to negotiate reciprocal reductions of nontariff 
     barriers while preserving the authority of Congress over 
     foreign trade as required by section 8 of article I of the 
     Constitution of the United States;
       Whereas the procedures laid out in the Bipartisan 
     Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 
     were designed by Congress to maintain the sovereignty of 
     Congress over trade; and
       Whereas, for legislation implementing a trade agreement to 
     qualify for trade authorities procedures under the Bipartisan 
     Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 
     2015, the trade agreement is required to make progress toward 
     achieving the applicable objectives, policies, and priorities 
     set forth by Congress in that Act, and failure by the 
     administration of a President to adhere to the trade 
     negotiating objectives and notification and consultation 
     requirements established by Congress renders a trade 
     agreement ineligible for fast-track consideration: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 
     United States should initiate negotiations to enter into a 
     free trade agreement with Taiwan.

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