HOUSE PASSES BILL RE. "WHO FOR TAIWAN"
The House today passed
legislation (HR441) on the suspension calendar mandating that the
U.S. Secretary of State A(1)
to initiate a United States plan to endorse and obtain observer
status for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit of the World Health
Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland; and (2) to instruct the
United States delegation to Geneva to implement that plan.@
The bill, introduced on January
29, Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), with 29 co-sponsors presses the Bush
Administration to put some teeth into the effort to obtain
meaningful participation by Taiwan in international organizations.
Rep. David Wu stated: AAs
a self-governing and democratic island of twenty-three million
people, and as a potential member with a great deal to contribute to
the WHO, I strongly support WHO observer status for Taiwan.@
After the debate, the bill
passed by voice vote. The is now automatically referred to the
Senate. It needs to pass the Senate before it can be sent to the
President for a signature so it can become law.
FAPA President Ming-chi Wu,
Ph.D. states: AOverall,
the U.S. should support the right to international recognition of
democratic Taiwan. This
WHO bill is a step in the right direction. Despite the looming war
on Iraq, we hope Mr. Bush presses the State Department to explore
every opportunity to make this happen.@
ATogether
with the letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell dated February
26, we have high expectations that the letter sent by the Taiwan
Caucus to Secretary of State Colin Powell on February 26, urging the
Secretary to instruct the U.S. delegation to Geneva to speak out in
favor of Taiwan's participation this coming May, will produce
concrete results.@
AAnd
finally, passing the bill is a nice gift to Taiwan=s
health Minister Shiing-jer Twu who is currently in Washington, D.C.
rallying support for Taiwan=s
WHO bid this coming May in Geneva.@
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