[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 23007-23010]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  EXPRESSING SYMPATHY FOR VICTIMS OF DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE IN TAIWAN

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 297) expressing sympathy for the victims of the 
devastating earthquake that struck Taiwan on September 21, 1999, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 297

       Whereas on the morning of September 21, 1999, a devastating 
     and deadly earthquake shook the counties of Nantou and 
     Taichung, Taiwan, killing more that 1,700 people, injuring 
     more than 4,000, and leaving more than 100,000 homeless;
       Whereas the earthquake of January 21, 1999, has left 
     thousands of buildings in ruin, caused widespread fires, and 
     destroyed highways and other infrastructure;
       Whereas the strength, courage, and determination of the 
     people of Taiwan has been displayed since the earthquake;
       Whereas the people of the United States and Taiwan share 
     strong friendship and mutual interests and respect;
       Whereas the United States has offered whatever technical 
     assistance might be needed and has dispatched the Urban 
     Search and Rescue Team of Fairfax County, Virginia; and
       Whereas offers of assistance have come from the Governments 
     of Japan, Singapore, the People's Republic of China, Turkey, 
     and others: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses its deepest sympathies to the citizens of 
     Nantou and Taichung and all of Taiwan for the tragic losses 
     suffered as a result of the earthquake of September 21, 1999;
       (2) expresses its support for the people of Taiwan as they 
     continue their efforts to rebuild their cities and their 
     lives;
       (3) expresses support for disaster assistance being 
     provided by the United States Agency for International 
     Development and other relief agencies; and
       (4) recognizes and encourages the important assistance that 
     also could be provided by other nations to alleviate the 
     suffering of the people of Taiwan.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 297.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in support of House 
Resolution 297, expressing sympathy by the Congress for the victims of 
the devastating earthquake in Taiwan on September 21.
  I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the distinguished 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, for responding 
expeditiously to the tragic earthquake in Taiwan by drafting this 
resolution I am proud to be a cosponsor of.
  I personally want to express my deepest sadness about the devastating 
earthquake that unexpectedly struck Taiwan one week ago and that we 
convey to the citizens of Taiwan who recently warmly hosted our 
Congressional delegation during our visit to Taipei our profoundest 
sympathies about their tragic loss of life and property.
  By this resolution, we in the Congress are calling upon the Clinton 
administration and other members of the international community to do 
everything possible to assist Taiwan to recover from this unfortunate 
act of nature.
  Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues in the House 
to join with us in expressing our deepest sympathies to the people of 
Taiwan in their time of need and to express our willingness to support 
them.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me first commend my good friend, the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), for introducing this resolution and commend, 
also, the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman) and the gentleman 
from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson) and all of our other colleagues who 
have seen fit to join us in cosponsoring this legislation.
  I rise in strong support of the resolution. This resolution properly 
expresses the deepest sympathies of this body to the citizens of Taiwan 
for the tragic losses suffered as a result of the earthquake of 
September 21.

                              {time}  1115

  The devastation caused by this earthquake on Taiwan is unspeakable. 
And as one, Mr. Speaker, who represents San Francisco in this body, I 
want to remind my colleagues that the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, 
which is remembered even a century after it occurred, resulted in a 
number of deaths directly attributable to the earthquake. That is about 
the same number that the people of Taiwan suffered during the course of 
the last week.
  There are about 8,000 Taiwanese who are injured and well over 2,000 
who lost their lives. There are 100,000 Taiwanese citizens, 1 percent 
of the population of Taiwan, who are homeless, and thousands and 
thousands of buildings are in ruin. Throughout all this tragedy, Mr. 
Speaker, the people of Taiwan have shown tremendous strength and 
courage and determination. We were delighted, all of us, to see over 
the weekend that two young men were pulled alive from a collapsed 
building 5 days after the tragedy.
  Our resolution expresses support for the disaster assistance which is 
being provided by our government and specifically for the urban search 
and rescue teams from Virginia and Florida.
  Now, Taiwan is a model of what used to be a developing nation. Not 
many years ago, Mr. Speaker, Taiwan was economically destitute and a 
political dictatorship. Taiwan today is one of the most highly 
developed economies on the face of this planet and is a political 
democracy. This is truly our dream for all developing nations. And I 
think this incredible achievement, which was brought about by the hard 
work of the people of Taiwan, should make us profoundly sympathetic to 
their current crisis.
  They are not asking for financial assistance. Taiwan is a wealthy 
country. But I want to call on all of my fellow citizens on a voluntary 
basis to make a contribution to the needs of the tens of thousands of 
Taiwanese families who have lost everything in this disaster. It was my 
pleasure yesterday to welcome to my office the distinguished ambassador 
of Taiwan and to give him my check for $1,000 as my contribution to 
help alleviate the pain and suffering which permeates that small 
country.
  I found it remarkable, Mr. Speaker, that even in this moment of 
Taiwan's tragedy, the government in Beijing insisted that all 
assistance to Taiwan be

[[Page 23008]]

directed through China and be approved by China in Beijing. That, of 
course, clearly is not what is happening. We have provided our aid and 
assistance, private and public, directly to the free people of Taiwan, 
and we intend to continue to do so in the coming weeks.
  This tragedy underscores our determination to see to it that Taiwan 
assumes its proper role in various international organizations, and the 
people of Taiwan should rest assured that the American people stand 
with them as they have built a viable democratic society and as they 
are now undergoing the impact of a major natural disaster.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. LANTOS. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. GILMAN. First of all I want to compliment the gentleman for his 
humanitarian effort on behalf of Taiwan. When the gentleman said that 
all assistance had to go through Beijing, I read in I think today's 
wire service that indicated that even the Red Cross had to appeal to 
Beijing before they could go into Taiwan. If that is the case, of 
course, that is abominable. We would hope that that would be 
straightened out. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. LANTOS. I thank my friend for his contribution and underscore the 
absurdity of the unrealistic demands of the government of Beijing. The 
Red Cross, the International Red Cross, should be able to help the 
people of Taiwan without going through the phony process of applying to 
Beijing to provide aid to the suffering people of that island.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from San Dimas, California (Mr. Dreier), the distinguished 
chairman of the Committee on Rules.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. 
I would like to commend my colleagues the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lantos) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) and the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and others who have worked on 
this. Obviously as a Californian, the gentleman from California and I 
know full well of the devastation of earthquakes. His area suffered the 
Loma Prieta quake in 1989. I remember that day very well, October 16, 
1989. We on January 17 of 1994 suffered the terrible Northridge quake 
in southern California. The gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) is 
from northern California, I am from southern California. Obviously we 
in our State have many Chinese Americans, people who are both from the 
mainland and from Taiwan. So I just would like to say especially as a 
Californian that my heart goes out to those who have been impacted, of 
course, the families of those who were killed and also to those who, we 
are happy to say, have survived.
  I just heard as I entered the Chamber the gentleman from California 
refer to the incredible and heroic mission that was embarked upon by 
several of those seeking to rescue the people where they found two 
young men who after several days were still alive. I would just like to 
say that it is important for us to do everything that we can to 
encourage private support that will be going through organizations 
directly to the people. I am frankly happy that we have seen an 
indication of support coming from the People's Republic of China to 
provide assistance and that statement I know was made by Jiang Zemin at 
the very outset immediately following the quake.
  I just want to do everything that we possibly can to assist the 
people of Taiwan as they go through what obviously is a very 
challenging time. One of the things that again the gentleman from 
California and I know very well is that it is one thing to go through 
the quake itself but the rebuilding process itself is a real challenge. 
It is going to be important for us to continue to provide whatever 
assistance we possibly can.
  I again thank both of my colleagues for authoring this important 
resolution.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to my 
good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz).
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution 
expressing sympathy for the victims of the earthquake in Taiwan. I 
would like to echo what has been said by my good friends the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Lantos), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) 
and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).
  I have a great many friends and acquaintances in Taiwan, having 
traveled there often on trade missions to seek jobs for my south Texas 
district. I was there just last month on such a mission. I appreciate 
those countries who have offered emergency aid to Taiwan in the 
aftermath of this earthquake. Taiwan is an emerging democracy on the 
Pacific Rim, and they are a valuable and important player in our 
international global economy. Taiwan has been enormously forthcoming 
and helpful when there has been similar natural disasters and 
emergencies in other countries. It is appropriate and honorable for 
those countries to return that favor to Taiwan now in Taiwan's hour of 
need.
  The American people and people of all faiths are praying today for 
the victims and the country as well as the rescuers who are working 
very, very hard. We are waiting to hear from Taiwan what their specific 
needs are in the aftermath of this earthquake.
  I hope that what my good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) has requested is that those of us that can contribute, to make 
contributions to the government of Taiwan so that they can help the 
local people who are in dire need.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the 
distinguished chairman of our Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support, of course, of H. 
Res. 297, a resolution addressing the devastating earthquake that 
occurred last week in Taiwan and literally decimated major parts of the 
island. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. It has 
become an all too familiar sight: many thousands of casualties, an 
unknown number missing, hundreds of thousands of homeless, buildings 
collapsed, roads destroyed, village-destroying mud slides, dams cracked 
and in danger of failing. The people of Taiwan will no doubt persevere. 
They are strong and they are courageous. They have faced adversity 
before. But it is only appropriate that this body comment on this 
tragic natural catastrophe and pledge our concern and empathy and 
assistance.
  This does extend the sympathy of the House of Representatives and the 
American people to the people of Taiwan. It notes with approval the 
assistance being provided under the auspices of the Agency for 
International Development. Within a few hours of the earthquake, U.S. 
rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Miami, Florida, for 
example--I am sure there are many others--were en route to provide 
assistance. I noticed last night the people returning to Dulles Airport 
met by families and friends, and the Taiwanese-American community was 
out there to greet them at Dulles, thanking them for their special 
assistance. These teams have had dogs trained to discover those trapped 
in buildings that had collapsed and these teams quickly attacked the 
rubble. Such assistance, I think, sends an important message of moral 
support for people in the midst of suffering and the executive branch 
should be commended for their prompt action.
  The resolution also notes with approval the willingness of other 
countries to come to the assistance of Taiwan in its time of need. 
Japan, Singapore, the People's Republic of China, and I want to 
emphasize Turkey, which recently also experienced its own very similar 
catastrophe. Even if such aid is modest, and I hope it will be more 
than modest, it tells the people of Taiwan that they are not alone.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a genuinely bipartisan expression of concern. 
This Member is joined in cosponsoring, for example, by the chairman of 
the committee, the distinguished gentleman

[[Page 23009]]

from New York; the ranking Democrat, the distinguished gentleman from 
Connecticut; and the distinguished ranking Democrat of the Subcommittee 
on Asia and the Pacific who helped with the crafting and moving of this 
legislation, the gentleman from California. The list of cosponsors, of 
course, goes on, and every one, I think, of our colleagues if they knew 
about the movement of this legislation would like to be there as a 
cosponsor. I urge adoption of the resolution.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to my good 
friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Resolution 297, a resolution expressing sympathy for the victims of the 
devastating earthquake that struck Taiwan on September 21 of this year. 
On that date, Mr. Speaker, an earthquake registering 7.6 on the Richter 
scale hit the Nantou and Taichung counties of Taiwan. Thousands were 
killed and even more were left homeless.
  Mr. Speaker, I have the honor of representing Flushing-Queens, New 
York. Many of my constituents have family and friends living in Taiwan. 
The prayers and thoughts of my constituents and myself are with the 
Taiwanese people at this time.
  The United States Agency for International Development has responded 
to Taiwan's call for international assistance by sending technical 
experts from their office of foreign disaster assistance and the 
Fairfax, Virginia search and rescue team. I would like to thank these 
brave men and women who participated in this international rescue 
operation as well as the other nations which lent their assistance.
  Although the earthquake crippled Taiwan's infrastructure in the 
hardest hit areas where phone, power and water lines were knocked out, 
I have confidence that Taiwan will be able to rebuild quickly and 
continue to play an important role in the Asian and world economies.

                              {time}  1130

  Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the House Committee on International 
Relations, I stand ready to assist Taiwan with its rebuilding efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this worthy 
resolution to express the House's sympathy for this terrible, terrible 
disaster.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Cox), chairman of our 
Republican Policy Committee.
  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding this time to 
me.
  I think all of us here in this chamber and, in fact, anyone in the 
world with a television set watched in awe and horror and ultimately 
relief as 6 year-old boy whose faint cries were heard beneath the 
rubble was extracted alive after several days following the earthquake. 
His first words were: Why am I here, and where is my family? But his 
parents and his sisters were all killed in that same building in that 
same earthquake. It tore my heart out.
  Mr. Speaker, I have a 6 year-old son, and just to imagine the human 
loss, the tragedy of that earthquake, is almost beyond our individual 
capacities.
  Sometimes it takes an enormous tragedy such as this earthquake to 
bring home how futile it is for us to maintain the political 
differences that we do across the globe. I think everyone watching on 
television saw that the people of Taiwan are not the dangerous 
splitists so often derided by the Communist government in Beijing, but 
men and women and children fighting for a better life, just like all of 
us.
  Mr. Speaker, that is why it is so tragically ironic that at this 
time, when we should have set aside politics and put humanitarian 
interests first, the government of Beijing literally got in the way as 
Russian aid was trying to make its way immediately after the tragedy to 
the victims. A Russian plane actually had to divert and take a 
different, longer route in order to get to Taiwan because they did not 
have clearance from the Beijing government. The American Red Cross, as 
has been discussed previously in this debate, felt it necessary, even 
though it is a nongovernmental organization based here, to check first 
with Beijing, and that slowed down aid getting to people right when 
they most needed it, when there is still a chance to save their lives. 
This should never happen again.
  The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), our Democratic colleague, has 
offered legislation that I know the Chairman of the Committee on 
International Relations supports that would permit Taiwan membership in 
the World Health Organization, something that does not require the 
status of statehood; so, this does not in any way interfere with our 
United States China policy. But what it would do, Mr. Speaker, is cut 
out the bureaucracy so that in the case of future medical emergencies 
this could not happen again, these kinds of delays could not happen 
again.
  I think we also need legislation to make sure that every 
nongovernmental organization in America, every charity in America 
understands that if there ever is another medical emergency or natural 
disaster in Taiwan, that they can get relief there right away without 
having to check with Beijing first.
  It is fortunate that so much good is now coming of the worldwide 
attention that has been paid to this tragedy in Taiwan, so much money 
is coming from our country to help people there. On Saturday night 
last, I met with several hundred Taiwanese Americans who were gathered 
in principle part to marshal their efforts behind earthquake relief in 
Taiwan, and I personally am participating in those efforts, and I hope 
that everyone here will because we do live in a small world, and we do 
all have much more in common than we realize.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Guam 
(Mr. Underwood), my good friend and distinguished colleague.
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding 
me the time, and for the reasons that have been outlined already by 
many of the previous speakers, I stand in strong support of Resolution 
297 expressing our sympathy and our concern for the people of Taiwan. 
As a representative of an area that is the closest U.S. area to Taiwan, 
we certainly have many important business, commercial and people-to-
people relationships with the people of Taiwan, and the people of 
Taiwan have always been there for Guam and other parts of the United 
States whenever we have problems. And so it is important that we 
express directly and in this very highly symbolic and very important 
way our sympathy for them. In our own relationships and between Guam 
and Taiwan, whenever we had a very severe earthquake, about 4 years 
ago, and we have had a number of typhoons where the people of Taiwan 
have always come through. And I am pleased to report that back home in 
Guam we are also engaged in many relief efforts to help the local 
Chinese community in their efforts to gather support and provide needed 
assistance to the people of Taiwan.
  We have also experienced some of the obstacles that have been alluded 
to earlier, and it is simply abominable that political considerations 
are now confounding and have confounded and have found their way into 
efforts to provide relief. And yet in a kind of interesting way, I 
think the earthquake in Taiwan has pointed out the real success story 
that is Taiwan, the fact that they do have very good and solid 
relationships with people throughout the world who want to provide them 
their needed assistance. Nothing is as a serious sign of our common 
humanity than when we are most vulnerable, and certainly times of 
natural disaster point that out. And it is very important that we 
continue to express our support for Taiwan.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to personally participate in this.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H. Res. 297, a resolution 
expressing sympathy for the victims of the devastating earthquake that 
struck Taiwan on September 21, 1999, I would like to express my strong 
support for this important legislation. Had I been able to be in 
Washington today, I would have enthusiastically cast my vote in the 
affirmative.
  As the first member of the U.S. House of Representatives born on 
Taiwan, I would first

[[Page 23010]]

like to express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the people of 
Taiwan. I hope in these challenging times that they find comfort in 
family and loved ones.
  Since the earthquake shook Nantou and Taichung, Taiwan, thousands of 
homes and families were damaged or destroyed. Thousands of individuals 
lay dead, missing, and injured. I feel a great sense of sadness for all 
that were affected by this tragic incident.
  I commend the Taiwanese people for their display of strength, 
courage, and determination. Indeed, the tasks of rebuilding homes and 
comforting loved ones lay dauntingly ahead. I am confident that my 
colleagues, the President, and the international community will provide 
the necessary assistance to help the people of Taiwan rebuild their 
homes and family.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 297, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. LANTOS. 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 and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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