[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 22, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H1311-H1313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PERIODIC REVIEWS AND UPDATED REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S 
        TAIWAN GUIDELINES UNDER THE TAIWAN ASSURANCE ACT OF 2020

  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1159) to amend the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 to require 
periodic reviews and updated reports relating to the Department of 
State's Taiwan Guidelines.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1159

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

     SECTION 1. PERIODIC REVIEWS AND UPDATED REPORTS OF THE 
                   DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S TAIWAN GUIDELINES UNDER 
                   THE TAIWAN ASSURANCE ACT OF 2020.

       Section 315 of the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 (Public Law 
     116-260; 134 Stat. 3100) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (c)(1), by adding at the end before ``; 
     and'' the following: ``and any successor document or related 
     document disseminating such guidance''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Periodic Reviews and Updated Reports.--
       ``(1) In general.--For as long as the Department of State's 
     guidance that governs relations with Taiwan described in 
     subsection (a) remains in effect, the Secretary of State 
     shall conduct periodic reviews as described in subsection (a) 
     and submit updated reports as described in subsection (c) not 
     less frequently than every two years following the submission 
     of the initial report described in subsection (c).
       ``(2) Matters to be included.--Such updated reports shall 
     include--
       ``(A) a description of how the guidance meets the goals and 
     objectives described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of 
     subsection (b); and
       ``(B) an identification of opportunities and plans to lift 
     self-imposed restrictions on relations with Taiwan.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Taiwan assurance implementation 
act, my bipartisan legislation to ensure the United States engages 
Taiwan in a way that deepens our relationship with this important 
partner.
  Taiwan faces an unprecedented threat from an increasingly capable and 
erratic People's Republic of China. Xi Jinping has said that so-called 
reunification with Taiwan is a core goal of his great rejuvenation 
campaign, and Chinese Communist Party officials have made clear that 
they are not afraid to use force to achieve this goal.
  Mr. Speaker, our own intelligence community has assessed that the PRC 
is investing in military capabilities that will enable it to take 
Taiwan by 2027, but we do not need intelligence to tell us what we 
already see. The PRC is flying bombers and fighter jets into Taiwanese 
airspace and waters, threatening to sanction Taiwanese businesses, and 
harassing Taiwanese Government officials.
  If we are to defeat China's plan to replace the United States as the 
world's preeminent power, we cannot be ruled by fear. That means boldly 
standing by our friends and partners, particularly Taiwan.
  We must increase our economic ties, defense relationship, and 
political support of Taiwan's democratic system. Unfortunately, our own 
State Department has often unilaterally censored or restricted its 
engagement with Taiwan.
  Hiding behind opacity and red tape hurts our partnership with Taiwan 
at a moment when we need to be standing shoulder to shoulder with our 
allies and partners. Any waffling invites bullies like Xi and Putin to 
push the envelope.

[[Page H1312]]

  This is why the Taiwan Assurance Act, or TAA, was enacted with strong 
bipartisan support in 2020, but the threat Taiwan faces has only grown 
since then. This bill amends the TAA to ensure that the State 
Department's policy of engagement with Taiwan is appropriate to today's 
geopolitical challenges. We must acknowledge the growing threat Taiwan 
faces and help build resilience to that threat.
  I was proud to introduce this bipartisan bill along with the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), who has been an absolute 
champion for Taiwan for so many years.
  It received unanimous support during markup by the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I rise in strong support of H.R. 1159.
  This legislation introduced by Mrs. Wagner, the vice chair of the 
House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Messrs. Connolly and Lawler, House 
Foreign Affairs Committee members, showcases this body's steadfast, 
bipartisan commitment to Taiwan.
  As a vibrant democracy and reliable partner of the United States of 
America, Taiwan has long been a force for good in promoting prosperity 
and development in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
  Our robust and longstanding friendship is built on our shared values 
of democracy and good governance, strong people-to-people ties, and 
ever-expanding commercial and economic engagement.
  When I visited Taiwan with Speaker Pelosi last year, the reception we 
received from the people was nothing short of incredible. We were 
welcomed with open arms. Thousands of people greeted us as the plane 
landed. More than that viewed us as our trip took its way to Taiwan.
  Our trip demonstrated that Members of Congress will not be dictated 
to by Beijing and that we will not sit idly by as Beijing attempts to 
intimidate and coerce our friend.
  The people of Taiwan showed us tremendous respect and affection, so 
much so it was in a way that I believe demonstrates their confidence 
that the United States Congress will continue to stand up for them.
  In acknowledgment of our deep and lasting friendship, the Biden 
administration took concrete steps to encourage greater engagement with 
Taiwan. In April 2021, the State Department revised its guidelines to 
liberalize executive branch interactions with Taiwan counterparts in a 
way that is consistent with our One China policy and honors our 
longstanding ties to Taiwan as enshrined in the Taiwan Relations Act.
  This legislation amends the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 to 
reauthorize regular reporting on the State Department's Taiwan contact 
guidelines. This bill sends a strong message that Congress stands with 
our friends in Taiwan, supports greater engagement, and wants to have 
an active part in strengthening the United States-Taiwan relationship.
  As the United States and Taiwan look to further enhance our 
cooperation, facilitating ways to bolster our ongoing people-to-people 
ties is vital. Not only have our two sides benefited tremendously from 
our close engagement, but the world stands to benefit, as well.
  Again, I congratulate Representative Wagner, the vice chair of the 
committee; Mr. Connolly; and Mr. Lawler for coming up with this 
bipartisan bill, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Connolly), my friend.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend, the former chair 
and now the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for his 
leadership and friendship. I also thank my dear friend from Missouri, 
Congresswoman Wagner, who has served America in many roles. I thank her 
for her leadership on today's legislation, a bipartisan piece of 
legislation that is very timely and important.

  This legislation provides an update to the Taiwan Assurance Act, 
which I was proud to support in 2020 to underscore the importance of 
U.S. support for Taiwan.
  The key piece of legislation Congress initiated back in 1979 is, as 
Chairman Meeks indicated, the Taiwan Relations Act. It was passed when 
I was a young staffer in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and it 
originated out of that committee.
  It was designed by Congress to help create unique architecture in the 
bilateral relationship between the United States and Taiwan. It 
followed immediately after normalization of relations with the People's 
Republic of China, and it was designed by Congress to make sure that no 
military solution would be available in the question of the status of 
Taiwan.
  The Taiwan Relations Act was designed to put forth parameters and a 
roadmap to govern our bilateral relationship. Central to that roadmap 
is Taiwan's ability to defend itself with support from the United 
States. That is a promise we made then, and it is a promise we must 
keep today.
  As an increasingly aggressive China threatens its neighbors 
throughout the South China Sea, as if it were its own private pond, and 
as it encroaches on territorial waters and airspace and asserts 
ludicrous claims that the South China Sea is its Chinese pond, this is 
the time for the United States and this Congress to reassert our 
support, our unequivocal support, for the right of the Taiwanese people 
to decide for themselves how they will manage their affairs and their 
relationship with Beijing.
  As president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly for the last 2 years, 
I was proud to partner with my colleagues in this body and on both 
sides of the aisle to put China on the NATO agenda for the first time 
in its 70-year history, believe it or not.
  This is a crucial moment for the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. It 
requires a sober and comprehensive understanding of the challenge China 
can pose to the United States and its security and prosperity, as well 
as that of the people of Taiwan.
  In this moment, our support for Taiwan, its people, and its 
democratic structure is paramount in the face of Chinese aggression. I 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Again, I thank my colleague from Missouri and the distinguished 
former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for their leadership.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1159 is an important bipartisan measure 
that reauthorizes regular reporting on the State Department's Taiwan 
contact guidelines to Congress and encourages greater engagement with 
our friends in Taiwan, consistent with our One China policy.
  As a vibrant democracy, a force of good will, and a model for the 
world, Taiwan is, indeed, a key part of the Indo-Pacific region. It is 
vital that we find concrete ways to expand and deepen interactions at 
every level and work together to advance our mutual priorities based on 
our shared values, strong people-to-people ties, and common vision for 
the region.
  Again, I thank Vice Chair Wagner, Mr. Connolly, and Mr. Lawler for 
coming together with this strong bipartisan bill, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to join us and support this very important bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, the geopolitical situation surrounding 
Taiwan is changing rapidly. Our relationship with Taiwan must be 
flexible enough to meet these new challenges.
  Unfortunately, the State Department's classified Taiwan contact 
guidelines are often not conducive to a robust relationship with 
Taiwan, and Congress has little insight into the decisionmaking behind 
these guidelines.

                              {time}  1730

  Mr. Speaker, the bottom line of this legislation is this:
  H.R. 1159 would reauthorize the bipartisan Taiwan Assurance Act of 
2020, strengthen its reporting requirements, and require greater 
transparency from the State Department.
  It would ensure the United States is approaching its relationship 
with Taiwan in a manner that strengthens our

[[Page H1313]]

relationships with democratic partners who are under threat by 
aggressive dictatorships, and it would ask the administration to 
identify opportunities to lift remaining self-imposed restrictions on 
engagement.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge each of my colleagues to support this important 
bipartisan bill. I thank the ranking member, Mr. Meeks, and I thank the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) for joining me in supporting 
this unanimously out of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1159.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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