Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 2018 honorees of an organization named FACE, or Facts About Cuban Exiles. The awardees are: Gus Machado, Jorge Santos, and Cesar Pizarro.

These three men embody the drive and spirit of Cuban exiles and have made outstanding contributions to our south Florida community. Since its foundation, FACE has been working to highlight the achievements of the Cuban diaspora in Miami.

FACE has given a voice to refugees like me who had no other choice but to leave our native homeland in search of freedom and human rights here in the U.S. It disseminates the truth about what is occurring in Cuba and ensures that the victims of the communist regime are not forgotten.

Through FACE, and many other organizations that share the same goals, we will finally see a free and democratic Cuba, where citizens are given the opportunity to build up their country, instead of being forced to flee it.

I would like to thank FACE for its work over these 36 years. Again, I congratulate Gus, Jorge, and Cesar on this wonderful, well-deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act. I introduced this bill with my friend, Congressman Ed Perlmutter, with the support of Critical Mass: The Young Adult Cancer Alliance.

This commonsense and bipartisan measure will enable cancer patients to defer payments on public student loans while actively receiving treatment, without interest accruing during the deferment period.

Sadly, in 2018 alone, Mr. Speaker, more than 1.7 million Americans will be newly diagnosed with cancer. Beyond the terrible news of this cancer diagnosis, these individuals have to endure exhaustive treatment and staggering medical expenses, often leading to under- or unemployment. This reality makes it incredibly difficult for many cancer patients to make payments on their student loans on time.

By passing the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act, we will help so many cancer patients and stimulate the economy. These patients will be prevented from defaulting on their student loans, which they so desperately need.

Mr. Speaker, Ed and I encourage our colleagues to stand with cancer patients across our Nation and support and cosponsor the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Director Kern Carpenter of the Miami-Dade County Farm Bureau, on his introduction into the Farm Bureau Hall of Honor.

A third generation farmer with a rich history in tomato production; Mr. Carpenter and his family have dedicated their lives to preserving the beauty and prestige of Florida's agriculture.

At a young age, Kern lost his father to cancer and not long after; the farm he loved. However, Kern never lost sight of his family's heritage and worked hard to one day run his very own farm.

In 1983, Kern successfully renewed his family's farming legacy and opened Kern Carpenter Farms.

Today, that passion and drive Kern possessed at such a young age, continues to impact so many farmers and serves as an inspiration throughout our South Florida community.

Mr. Speaker, it is individuals like Kern that encompass the American spirit we all hold so dear. I wish him the very best in his future endeavors, and congratulate him on this much deserved honor.

Congratulations my friend. (Felicidales amigo).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Dr. Eysa Marquez-Brito, a Board Certified pediatrician practicing in beautiful Coral Gables.

For over 30 years, Eysa has served the healthcare needs of countless children in my Congressional district.

After graduating from medical school and completing her training in the field of pediatrics, neonatology and adolescent medicine, Eysa became Chief Resident at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, where she has continued to teach until this day.

Eysa also works tirelessly outside of the exam room. She is active in the philanthropic community and volunteers with organizations such as United Way of Miami-Dade, Alfalit, Boy Scouts of America, and the Cancer Research Institute just to name a few.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to represent individuals like Eysa, who has dedicated her life to serving children and by doing so has transformed the lives of so many in our South Florida community.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my constituent, Patricia Garcia Duenas, who will be retiring on May 1st from Jackson Memorial Hospital after 31 years of dedicated service to our community.

Like my family and me, and so many others in my Congressional district, Patricia was forced to flee Castro's brutal tyranny. She arrived in Miami from Cuba in 1968.

Patricia attended South Miami Senior High School and had great pride for her school. She was actively involved in extra-curricular activities and was selected to the Homecoming Court and Captain of the Varsity Cheerleaders.

Patricia later attended the University of Florida and graduated in 1986, with a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation. Her desire to help others in our community led her to a lifelong career at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Patricia first joined the Jackson family in 1987, as a Child Life Specialist at Holtz Children's Center. In 1988, she accepted a position as a Recreation Therapist in Mental Health and, for the past thirty years she has helped thousands of individuals with mental illness and addiction. Her dedication and commitment to her patients and to Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital have earned her numerous recognitions.

In October of 2015, she was named Manager of Activity Therapy Services and, under her leadership, the Department has continued to go above and beyond to provide excellent care.

Throughout her three decades of service, it is without question that Patricia has been a champion of mental health care and that she has impacted the lives of countless individuals. I thank Patricia for her many years of service to our South Florida community.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to condemn the actions of Daniel Ortega against the people of Nicaragua who peacefully protested the regime.

Ortega has taken a page out of the Castro and Maduro playbook and has unleashed his national police to kill more than 30 young Nicaraguans and injure many others over the weekend. He is presenting a false narrative that the political protests are political maneuverings by the opposition, giving him the excuse to censure all independent media, while his people beat, jail, and kill students who are fighting

for their basic rights. He has changed presidential term limits, dismantled democratic institutions, and committed electoral fraud.

Madam Speaker, this is a country that has endured two dictatorships and a civil war. We must demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Nicaragua. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass my NICA Act to cut funding to Ortega, and I urge the administration to sanction more Ortega officials who are committing human rights abuses. We must not allow Ortega's actions to go unpunished.

Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to do something that I never would have thought that I would do in my time in Congress. I am here to stand in opposition to a bill that purports to seek justice for Holocaust survivors.

Anyone who knows just the slightest bit about my tenure in Congress knows how hard I have worked over the years in support of Holocaust survivors. I have held hearings on the plight of survivors. I have introduced bills to seek justice for survivors. I have pressed Germany to honor its obligation and its commitment to survivors to ensure that Germany takes care of the health and home care needs of all survivors so that they may live out their remaining days in the dignity and comfort that they deserve.

I have fought against those who denied the Holocaust, and I have spent countless hours speaking with and visiting with the many survivors that I have now come to know as dear friends; listening to their stories; hearing them recall the atrocities that they somehow managed to live through; and then hearing how, even today, more than 70 years later, they still face the injustices of humanity's darkest period.

In fact, it was Speaker Ryan who named me as one of the congressional members on the Holocaust Museum Board just last year, and I am truly honored and humbled to have been named to this position.

So I think my history of support for Holocaust survivors and their families is well established and well known, which is why I cannot, in good conscience, stand here before you, Mr. Speaker, before my colleagues, before the American people, and before the Holocaust survivors who are listening to offer my support for this bill.

And with all due respect for my colleagues, and they are good friends, because I know that their hearts are in the right place, this bill is not what it purports to be. That is the problem.

Let's start with the name, Mr. Speaker. Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today Act.

Where is the justice, Mr. Speaker?

This bill is nothing more than a mere reporting requirement. It has got a fancy name. It is going to give us the feel-good that you are doing something for survivors, but it is just a reporting requirement.

What do survivors gain from that?

There is no actionable item in this bill. There is nothing to compel any government to do anything in this bill. There is simply no real action here.

This is a Claims Conference justice, and by that I mean the Claims Conference wants to appear to be doing all that it can for survivors, but it is nothing more than that. It is a smoke screen.

We should not be fooled, Mr. Speaker. This bill has the full support of the Claims Conference precisely because it does the bare minimum. It keeps the tension away from the sad truth.

What is the truth?

That the Claims Conference has utterly failed our Holocaust survivors. There is no denying that the Claims Conference has a particularly checkered history: its flawed process, its failure to support fully the Holocaust survivors' needs, its opposition to allowing survivors real justice, and, of course, the embezzlement and fraud issues.

There is no denying that this bill moves the needle not 1 inch closer to justice. It has a fancy name, but there is no justice.

Just look at the timeframe here, Mr. Speaker. The report is due in 18 months, and then what? And how many of the survivors will pass away before this report even gets issued?

So I am sorry to say, but the JUST Act just falls so far short of what survivors need today that I cannot stand before my friends and colleagues and I cannot stand before my Holocaust survivors and offer a voice of support for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I previously discussed how passing just a reporting requirement is not justice for survivors, never mind the title. It may be vigilance, but there will be no justice served for a single survivor when this body passes this bill and sends it to the President for his signature. Mr. Speaker, there is something even worse than not providing justice for survivors, and that is depriving them of justice.

I want to talk about one of the principles in this bill that, while on the face of it, might read like it is a simple principle--perhaps it sounds like good, common sense--and this is what it does:

This bill directs the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress that assesses and describes the nature and extent that certain countries have gone to in order to meet the goals and objectives of the 2009 Holocaust Era Assets Conference.

Again, it sounds reasonable. It is always good to hold countries accountable, especially when we are talking about seeking justice for Holocaust survivors. But one of the big flaws of the 2009 Conference, and what this bill does by asking the Secretary to report on how governments are complying with these goals, is that it enshrines a principle of running out the clock on survivors. The principle, which is specifically highlighted in this bill, the JUST Act, is the notion of allowing governments to use the assets of heirless property claims to provide for other survivors' needs.

Essentially, what this is saying to the governments that have claims against them or that have obligations to survivors whom they must meet is: Go ahead. Stall as long as you can. Wait them out. Then use those assets to pay off your obligations.

How long have survivors had to wait now, Mr. Speaker? Over 70 years. And the longer they wait, the longer those states which have obligations to survivors are allowed to stall, the less that these states will be on the hook for.

Even worse, this rewards states for stalling. It compounds the injustice to survivors. Using property and assets that were denied to survivors for over seven decades to then pay off other survivors is sickening.

Every survivor deserves justice, and that includes all who have lived

through the unthinkable but are no longer with us today. This practice is nothing more than a smokescreen for Germany's and other Claims Conference failures to forthrightly provide for all survivors' needs.

Let's think about it this way, Mr. Speaker: The Claims Conference will support the idea of using heirless claims to provide for other survivors, sure, but will the Claims Conference support the idea that survivors still being denied their justice by the insurance companies should be allowed to sue those insurance companies in Federal court? Nope.

Mr. Speaker, I wonder why that is. If my colleagues want to support this bill and if they think that using heirless property to pay for the needs of other survivors is the best we can get, then fine. But I challenge each and every one of you to believe that we can do more, we must do more, and that we have a moral responsibility to do more for survivors.

Surely, if we can tell governments in Europe that it is okay to benefit from their unwillingness to resolve the outstanding property claims against them for 70 years, then we can tell our survivors that it is okay for them to go to Federal court and fight for their justice.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about survivors being unable to sue the insurance companies in Federal court, how unjust that is. What a travesty.

First, they were forced to suffer the inhumanity of the Nazis during the Holocaust, treated as outsiders. Worse than that, there really are just no words to adequately describe how Jews were treated during the Nazi time. And now, for so many, they continue to face injustices on a daily basis.

One would think, Mr. Speaker, that those who endured and managed to make it here to America--home of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, where everyone is meant to have equal rights--would not have to face the harsh truth that they are still being treated no better than second-class citizens.

Imagine how survivors feel when they are told that, in America, almost anyone can have their rightful day in court--unless you are a Holocaust survivor with a claim against one of the big, rich, powerful insurance companies. In that case, you have no right to your justice. You have no day in court. You are prohibited from bringing justice to the courts.

Countless survivors had valid insurance policies with insurance companies in Europe before the Holocaust, but when so many tried to make a claim on the policies of their loved ones, can you imagine what these companies told them?

The insurance companies have asked Holocaust survivors to show their policies, because, as we all know, Mr. Speaker, the Nazis just let the Jews of Europe take all of their important documentation and their most cherished possessions with them before they were hauled off for extermination--of course that did not happen.

Even worse, these big, rich, powerful insurance companies didn't just reject these claims due to the absence of policy documents. Many claims were rejected due to the absence of a death certificate--another paper that the insurance companies knew were not readily available. They did not pass them out in extermination camps. The relatives did not get a death certificate. But yet that is what insurance companies are asking of survivors.

Of course, we all know that policyholders aren't the only ones with the proper documentation. Allianz or any of those big, rich, powerful insurance companies aren't just going to take my word for it that I have a policy with them. Insurance companies are going to have their own documentation to validate the claim. They have that documentation.

But do insurance companies do this for survivors? Do they show them the claims? Of course not. And, unfortunately, there is nothing to compel these huge, rich, and powerful insurance companies to provide it and to pay off those claims.

These claims, by the way, Mr. Speaker, now run into the billions of dollars, so you can imagine why the insurance companies would fight so hard against allowing survivors to receive their claims.

This is not justice. This is just as immoral and as reprehensible as you can get. These rich and powerful insurance companies should be held liable, and they should be held accountable for these sins against morality and humanity.

That is the bill that we should be debating today, and that is why, for years, I have authored the Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act, H.R. 762, in this Congress and I have worked side by side with so many survivors over the years who feel as if they are continuing to be victimized.

They ask me: Why can everyone else get their day in court like we are all entitled to, but not Holocaust survivors?

My bill is simple, Mr. Speaker. It will finally allow survivors the ability to bring their cases before the U.S. court system, and it allows them to have their day in court.

It does not prejudge the outcome of any case. It simply says survivors can face the insurance companies in court and seek redress. It will make the insurance companies open up their books and let the world know the truth.

If it is decided by the U.S. court system that these insurance companies have in fact been shirking their moral and legal responsibilities, then the appropriate course of action should be taken. But this cannot happen and these survivors cannot have their day in court unless we take steps to ensure that it can.

If we are here today to talk about justice for survivors, as this bill is called, let's talk about real action. Let's talk about doing something more than a simple reporting requirement with a fancy name. Let's talk about ending seven decades of injustice. Let's talk about ending impunity for these big, powerful, rich insurance companies. Let's talk about accountability.

Let's take up the JUST Act with the Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act. Let's not allow ourselves to pass a reporting requirement and then pat ourselves on the back thinking the job is over. Let's get real justice for survivors.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, in order to close my part of this debate on the bill, I want to reiterate that, though I strongly oppose the JUST Act--it is smoke and mirrors and it gives you the feel-good moment and provides no justice for survivors, in spite of its fancy name--I do believe that my colleagues do have good intentions and they want to see Holocaust survivors finally get the justice that has for so long evaded them.

Their words and their remarks are heartfelt. They just don't apply to this bill. They would more rightly apply to the bill that I have and that I hope this body will soon take up. In fact, this body took action last Congress when the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016, or the HEAR Act, was passed and signed into law.

This was an important bill. It actually helped. That bill allowed for civil claims or causes of action for the recovery of artwork stolen from Jews by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

In other words, we have acted to ensure that Holocaust victims can bring claims in U.S. courts to recover their looted artwork and other possessions. They can have their day in court, and I am glad for it. If you lost a famous painting and there have been movies and books written about it, you can have your day in court. That is wonderful.

But since HEAR was passed, or the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, it has already been cited in several cases and has been applied by the Ninth Circuit Court to revive a previously dismissed Nazi-era art case. That is great. So why not take action to allow the same process to take place for survivors to hold insurance companies accountable?

If you had your artwork looted by the Nazis, you can have your day in court. But if the Nazis have destroyed your life, and you had an insurance company policy, you do not have the right to take that case to court. It doesn't make sense.

So, Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate justice for uncompensated survivors of the Holocaust. A simple reporting requirement isn't going to do that. We shouldn't have to be taking such action. Unfortunately, because certain governments haven't lived up to their obligations and because these insurance companies and others complicit in Nazi-era crimes still manage to evade accountability, we have a moral obligation to step into action. That is the message that I am giving to my colleagues.

If we want to pass the JUST Act, so be it. But let's also vow here and now to take more concrete action to really get justice for Holocaust survivors. Let's take that next big step. Time is running out. Time is running out for all of these survivors and we need action yesterday--not today, but today will do.

I am asking my colleagues to do the right thing, and I am asking for this body, Mr. Speaker, to bring the Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act to the floor as soon as possible so that we

can take a meaningful step, a concrete step, an action item toward justice for survivors. And then, all of those lofty words that are laid upon the table on this bill that don't really apply, would really apply to this bill, the Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act. We owe it to the survivors. We owe it to their families.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for his kindness and his leadership, and Ranking Member Eliot Engel, my favorite mensch, for bringing this bill to the floor today. I also want to thank and congratulate Michael McCaul and my south Florida colleague and dear friend Ted Deutch for their work in offering this important bill.

The regime in Iran, as we have heard from my colleagues, is responsible for some of the most despicable human rights abuses imaginable. The regime is also notorious for its hostage-taking tactics, hoping to get financial or political concessions from the United States and other Western countries for their hostage taking.

Mr. Deutch and I have been highlighting these abuses in our subcommittee through multiple hearings and many pieces of legislation, including a resolution that the House passed last year, H. Res. 317, that urged the President to make the release of Americans held hostage in Iran the highest of priorities.

We also held a hearing on some of the hostages named in the resolution where we heard from family members of Mr. Deutch's constituent Bob Levinson, who is America's longest held hostage ever; Baquer and Siamak Namazi, father and son, who have been unjustly detained in Iran for far too long; Nizar Zakka. All of these families have had to endure so much, Mr. Speaker.

Almost 1 year later after our resolution, all of these men as well as at least four other Americans, additional Americans, continue to be unjustly detained in Iran, suffering under horrific conditions with little to no contact with their families.

Iran must be held accountable, Mr. Speaker. We need to be applying maximum pressure against the regime. This bill gives the administration more tools to sanction the regime for this practice of taking hostages, and I offer my full support.

I thank the esteemed chairman of our committee, as well as my friend, the ranking member. I thank the chairman for the time.

Mr. Speaker, today, many around the world might herald what they call a transition of power in my native homeland of Cuba, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

This sham transition is more smoke and mirrors--another ploy out of the Castro playbook. The reality is that Raul Castro will continue to maintain his grip on power. The reality is that the Cuban people will be no closer to freedom today than they were yesterday--no closer to democracy today than they were yesterday.

The reality is that the murderous regime in Cuba will continue to oppress and will continue to abuse the people of Cuba.

We are not fooled, Mr. Speaker, and U.S. law dictates that we do not recognize this so-called transition government or any successor government until certain conditions are met, conditions such as: all political prisoners be released; until free, fair, and transparent elections monitored by international observers are held; and until the Cuban people's human rights are respected.

Until then, and only then, Mr. Speaker, we must continue to oppose this farce orchestrated by Castro and, instead, we must stand with the people of Cuba in their fight for freedom, democracy, and human rights.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to recognize the 25th anniversary of the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, known as UM-NSU

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate all of the organizers and supporters of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame Banquet. This wonderful event will take place this Thursday, and this year's festivities will be extra special because we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.

I am a proud University of Miami Hurricane, where I earned my doctorate in education. I am married to Dexter, a fellow UM Cane. My stepson and daughter-in-law, Dougie and Lindsay, are graduates of University of Miami Law School, as is my stepdaughter Katherine Lehtinen. So the Lehtinen clan, we are real boosters of the University of Miami Hurricanes, and we wish all the best to the guests and participants of the banquet.

Congratulations to the University of Miami for its Sports Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary.

Go Canes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at my alma mater, the University of Miami. Sylvester is the only university-based cancer center in South Florida. With locations from Miami to Coral Springs, it serves one of the most diverse regions in the Nation.

We are lucky to have Sylvester because, unfortunately, Florida has the second highest rate of cancer in the country. This is why, every day, more

than 250 doctors and scientists at Sylvester work tirelessly to discover exciting breakthroughs and lead the search to find a cure for cancer.

Sylvester is also committed to increasing access to prevention and early detection for South Florida's most vulnerable and high-risk communities. The center will soon be launching a cutting-edge mobile screening unit to serve thousands throughout South Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate all of the doctors, the nurses, and the researchers at Sylvester Cancer Center on their amazing success, and thank them for providing highly specialized and unique cancer treatment for all of our South Florida community residents.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the ninth annual Dream Makers' Gala hosted by Debbie's Dream Foundation.

On April 21, friends, family, healthcare advocates, and community leaders from throughout our south Florida area will gather together to raise awareness and mobilize efforts to fight stomach cancer.

This year's event is especially meaningful to all of the staff, volunteers, and supporters of Debbie's Dream Foundation. Why? Because, sadly, we recently lost Debbie Zelman. Nearly a decade ago, Debbie was diagnosed with stage IV stomach cancer. But rather than give in, she decided to take action. She started Debbie's Dream Foundation to fund stomach cancer research and fight this dreadful disease.

In 2018, more than 26,000 people will be newly diagnosed with stomach cancer in our great country. That is why this event and this organization are so important to defeat stomach cancer once and for all.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Debbie's wonderful parents who carry on this fight, her family members, and all of the advocates for their lifesaving efforts and tireless commitment to fulfilling Debbie's dream.

Let us make this night a celebration of Debbie's determination, perseverance, and, most importantly, Debbie's amazing life.

Mr. Speaker, on April 20, Lotus House Shelter will have the grand opening of Lotus Village, a home for disadvantaged women and children that will offer a meaningful solution to prevent homelessness in my area of Miami-Dade County.

Lotus House is dedicated to improving the lives of homeless women, youth, and children, providing support, education, tools, and resources that empower them to heal, learn, and blossom into who they are truly meant to be.

Today, Lotus House shelters over 250 individuals on a daily basis, 680 annually, breaking the cycle of childhood abuse, domestic violence, and homelessness.

The opening of the new home, Lotus Village, offers increased capacity, a neighborhood health clinic, a children's daycare center, and a wellness center. Lotus Village includes programs like child therapy, nurturing parenting classes, as well as training programs for life skills and job readiness.

This safe haven is deeply integrated in the fabric of our community, and I am incredibly proud of the tireless work of all the volunteers of Lotus House Shelter in serving those in need reintegrate into society.

Mr. Speaker, April 10, 2018 marks the 39th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, one of the most important components of U.S. policy toward Taiwan. In addition to President Reagan's 1982 Six Assurances, the Taiwan Relations Act forms the cornerstone of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship, providing unequivocal guidance for relations with our ally, an ally whose progress has been an inspiration to all those still suffering under repressive governments. Taiwan's vibrant democracy, open society, and free market are examples to the world of what can be achieved when innovation and human rights are allowed to flourish. They also make Taiwan a natural partner for the United States, a partnership that has served as an anchor for peace and security in the Western Pacific. As we celebrate the 39th anniversary of this critical law, it is incumbent upon the United States to ensure we are doing everything in our power to ensure the promise of the Taiwan Relations Act, assisting Taiwan so that she can resist all types of political, economic, and military coercion by the regime in Beijing, and strengthening the already formidable U.S.- Taiwan partnership.

The American Institute in Taiwan's new compound in Taipei's Neihu district exemplifies the significant progress being made in the U.S.- Taiwan relationship and our long-term commitment to our ally. Built with American materials and by American workers, the compound is a symbol of strong U.S.-Taiwan relations, and made even more powerful by the fact that our lease is for 99 years, a number signifying longevity in Taiwanese culture. With an inaugural ceremony for the new compound to be held on June 12, 2018, I am looking forward to visiting as soon as possible and I encourage all my colleagues to visit and support the U.S.-Taiwan relationship.

Signed into law on March 16, 2018, the Taiwan Travel Act is another illustration of our strong partnership with Taiwan. I was a proud cosponsor of this law which states that it should be U.S. policy to not only allow visits from Taiwanese officials at all levels of government, but to encourage and facilitate these visits. It also states that our own policy-makers, including at the highest levels of government, should visit Taiwan for face-to-face meetings with their counterparts. For too long, administration after administration have caved to Chinese pressure and self-imposed restrictions in our relations with Taiwan. With the Taiwan Travel Act, the United States is doing the right thing by our friend and ally and taking another step toward taking full advantage of our wonderful partnership.

Finally, the U.S.-Taiwan economic relationship is very robust as Taiwan is the United States' eleventh largest trading partner and the United States is Taiwan's second largest. Taiwan's free market and importance in global supply chains make it an ideal place for foreign investment and Americans have recognized this fact with the United States becoming Taiwan's largest investor and an important exporter of agricultural goods to Taiwan. We must keep looking for ways to mutually benefit from our growing partnership, including through new trade deals.

With the anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act fast approaching, this is an opportune time to review the U.S.-Taiwan partnership and work toward making our relations even stronger, and I am looking forward to working with all my colleagues to see how we can do just that.