To amend Public Law 107-10 to authorize a United States plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 441) to amend Public Law 107-10 to authorize a United States plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to express my strong support for this legislation, Madam Speaker. My friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), has worked long and hard to make Taiwan's participation in the WHO a reality, and we also want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for his leadership in this area as well. As in years past, I am pleased to join with them in this effort.

The good people of Taiwan have a great deal to offer the international community. It is terribly unfortunate that even though Taiwan's achievements in the medical fields are substantial, and it has expressed a repeated willingness to assist both financially and technically in WHO activities, it has not been allowed to do so because of strenuous opposition from the Communist Chinese dictatorship.

My colleagues may recall the travesty that occurred back in 1998, when Taiwan suffered from a serious entovirus outbreak which killed 70 Taiwanese children and infected more than a thousand.

The WHO was unable to help.

In 1999, a tragic earthquake in Taiwan claimed more than 2,000 lives. Sadly, we learned in published news reports that the People's Republic of China demanded that any aid for Taiwan provided by the United Nations and the Red Cross receive prior approval from the dictators in Beijing. Yet when other nations face similar crises, Taiwan stands ready to help.

Our friends in Taiwan were among the first to offer assistance to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our Nation. They provided generous humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. They have been leaders in addressing global health issues and as this legislation notes, ``The government of Taiwan, in response to an appeal of the United Nations and from the United States for resources to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, donated $1 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.''

Madam Speaker, many of us have been disappointed by our government's lack of effort to assist Taiwan in its attempts to obtain WHO observer status at the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva. We have expressed our concerns to the State Department, and most recently, a bipartisan group of 64 Members of this body sought the personal assistance of Secretary Powell in this matter. We are hopeful that our delegation to the upcoming Geneva conference will stand strongly in favor of Taiwan's candidacy.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and also the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) for his prompt consideration of this bill in the Committee on International Relations. We have been working quite some time for this, and I thank Members for continuing to work on this important issue. I urge adoption of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 441, a bill endorsing observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Organization in May 2003. I thank my good friend, Mr. Brown of Ohio, for introducing the bill, and I look forward to voting for it.

Madam Speaker, over the years, this body has been divided on a variety of foreign policy issues. What the House has not been divided on, however, is its support for Taiwan, especially as it pertains to its status in the World Health Organization. The fact remains that Taiwan's exclusion from the WHO not only hurts Taiwan, but also the entire international community.

The WHO's constitution states that ``the enjoyment of the highest standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.'' Yet, the constitution of the WHO has been disregarded when the inclusion of Taiwan in the WHO, even at observer status, has been laid on the table. This time for this to change is now.

Few recall that Taiwan was an original member of the WHO, participating as a full member from 1948 until 1972. The United Nations' 1972 decision to award Taiwan's seat to the People's Republic of China resulted in Taiwan's replacement at the WHO. Since then, Taiwan has sought to be readmitted into the WHO at the same time it has built one of the world's most dynamic free market economies and become a leading technological and scientific population.

Tragically, the world community has never fully benefited from the medical advancements made by Taiwanese doctors and scientists because Taiwan lacks WHO membership. Taiwan enjoys one of the highest life expectancy rates in Asia, has relatively low infant and maternal mortality rates, and has eradicated major infectious diseases such as cholera, smallpox, and polio. Additionally, Taiwan's government was the first in the world to provide children with free hepatitis B vaccinations. Until the international community recognizes that each country in the world will benefit multi-fold from Taiwan's inclusion in the WHO, political pressure from the People's Republic of China will trump the spread of Taiwan's medical advancements.

Madam Speaker, health has no borders, and certainly neither does disease. Taiwan's 23 million citizens suffer every single time relief is delayed simply because Taiwan is not a part of the WHO. Likewise, the world community suffers each time its access to Taiwan's medical advancements is limited for the same reason.

Taiwan's readmittance to the WHO is long overdue. With passage of this bill today, the State Department is again given the necessary tools to push forward on Taiwan's request. H.R. 441 is not a political statement against the People's Republic of China. Instead, it is recognition of opportunity for the entire world community. The successes of Taiwan's medical experts must no longer remain locked in a chamber of politics, and access to these ideas must be extended to all countries.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill. May we all look forward to a day when Taiwan is admitted back into the World Health Organization, an organization it helped build 55 years ago.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 441, and I would like to thank my colleagues on the International Relations Committee and the Congressional Taiwan Caucus for their support as well.

For the past few years, we have been pushing for Taiwan's observer status at the WHO. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starting to experience deja-vu on this issue. Congress has addressed this several times, and I will continue to raise it until we have a resolution.

The World Health Organization makes a major contribution to the international community each and every day. The WHO has programs to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, to support the development of basic health care services throughout the developing world, and to provide humanitarian aid to those in need.

In this growing struggle, the WHO and its member countries should be looking for help wherever they can get it. Unfortunately, Taiwan's efforts to obtain observer status to the annual World Health Assembly meetings in Geneva have been blocked.

While the Administration has indicated support for Taiwan's bid for WHO observer status, it is unwilling to match the rhetoric with action. The State Department argues that the majority of WHO members would never support observer status for Taiwan, and therefore the U.S. shouldn't make a concerted effort on Taiwan's behalf. Well I say, let's find out.

The Administration must make a concerted effort to ensure Taiwan's participation in the WHO. The bid may fail, but Taiwan won't be allowed to participate if we do not make the case of its involvement.

Taiwan is a strong, democratic ally. It has developmental and humanitarian resources that would make a substantial contribution to

the WHO's mission. The people of Taiwan are volunteering these resources to fight global epidemics, and we are turning them away at the door. They have demonstrated this time after time--in Haiti; in El Salvador; and more recently by contributing a million dollars to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The world needs all the help it can get. Taiwan is not asking to join the WHO as a state, but rather as an observer. The case for observer status at the WHO is clear, and the Bush Administration should make it happen.

I strongly support H.R. 441, and urge my colleagues to do so as well.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 441, and urge all of my colleagues to do so as well. I would like to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) for his persistence in pushing for Taiwan's observer status at the World Health Organization. I also wish to acknowledge the chairmanship of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) on this critically important subject, and that of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

Madam Speaker, by battling the spread of infectious diseases and increasing the quality of health care to the global community, the World Health Organization makes a significant contribution to our national security. As we meet in this Chamber today, the WHO is dealing with an outbreak of Ebola in Africa, implementing new strategies to stop the spread of the deadly HIV/AIDS virus, and teaching the developing world how to stop the transmission of tuberculosis.

Madam Speaker, the fight for quality health care around the globe will never cease. As a result, the World Health Organization and its member countries must look for help from every nation to strengthen the work of the organization. Unfortunately, strong and consistent opposition from the Chinese government in Beijing has repeatedly stopped the people of Taiwan from contributing to the work of the WHO.

It is true that observer status for Taiwan will not come easy. Beijing holds sway over many WHO members, but the facts in support of Taiwan's case are clear and compelling, and support will undoubtedly build over time with active American engagement. Taiwan is one of our strongest allies in the Asia Pacific region. It is a beacon of democracy for people around the globe.

Taiwan has the resources and the expertise to make a significant contribution to the work of the World Health Organization. The case for Taiwan as a member of WHO is clear and compelling, and I hope our administration will actively support this important initiative. I strongly support H.R. 441. I urge all of my colleagues to do so as well.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, today, I join my colleagues in support of H.R. 441 authorizing a U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva. I want to thank Congressman Sherrod Brown for his continued commitment to this cause.

The Constitution of the World Health Organization states, ``the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.'' Taiwan's participation in the organization advances this principle.

Taiwan has made many positive contributions that benefit our country and help the international community attain the health goals set by the World Health Organization. Advancing Taiwan's participation in the WHO would provide the people of Taiwan more opportunities to participate in international health initiatives.

Taiwan's willingness to come to the aid of the people of El Salvador in the wake of the devastating earthquake in January 2001 is indicative of their commitment to global health. In the days following the earthquake, the Taiwanese government sent 2 rescue teams that included emergency, medical and engineering specialists to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts. In addition, the Taiwanese government donated $200,000 in relief aid to the Salvadoran government.

The WHO Constitution also states, ``the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent upon the fullest co-operation of individuals and States.'' In advancing the participation of Taiwan in the WHO, we are increasing global cooperation to address the pressing health concerns of our time. I strongly commend H.R. 441 to my colleagues and urge its passage.