For Immediate Release
Washington DC – May 26, 2005
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Members Of U.S. Congress Urge KMT Chairman Lien To Stop Obstructing Passage Of Arms Budget
On May 26, thirty-three Members of Congress (including House International Relations Committee chair Henry Hyde) led by Representatives Rob Simmons (R-CT), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Jeb Bradley (R-NH) and James Langevin (D-RI) wrote to the Chairman of Taiwan’s Kuomintang opposition party, Lien Chan, urging him to help expedite the passage of the special defense budget now before the Legislative Yuan.
FAPA, a Taiwanese American grassroots organization advocating greater support from Congress and the general public for Taiwan received a copy of the letter with the 33 signatures.
In the letter, the Representatives express their dissatisfaction at the opposition party’s continued obstruction of passing the arms budget, deemed vital to Taiwan’s self-defense capability in light of the Chinese continuously expanding military threat against Taiwan.
They write, “The PRC’s anti-secession law and aggressive military build-up demonstrate continued hostility towards the people of Taiwan. Taiwan’s procurement of the defense systems provided for within the special budget is vital to maintaining peace and prosperity across the Strait.”
They continue, “Failure to pass the special budget has raised concerns in the United States about Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against potential aggression.” “We encourage you to affirm your party’s commitment to a strong defense force and a strong U.S.-Taiwan relationship by supporting these purchases in full and without further delay.”
The so-called “Dear Colleague letter” that the four initiators of the letter sent out to recruit signatures from their fellow Representatives, reads: “President Chen Shui-bian’s effort to fund an $18 billion defense package for U.S.-made systems is blocked by Taiwan’s opposition party in the parliament. […] In particular, Party Chairman Lien Chan, who recently completed an eight-day tour of mainland China, has blocked parliament from voting on the necessary budget even though he supported the arms package himself in the 1990s when his Nationalist Party ruled Taiwan.”
FAPA President Ming-chi Wu says, “For the past months, Congressional sources have been telling us that Taiwan’s opposition party’s liaison office in the United States has been making rounds on Capitol Hill blaming the President of Taiwan for the fact that passage of the arms budget has stalled. This letter is full proof that Washington can not be fooled.”
33 Signatures are:
Rep. Todd Akin, Rep. Rob Andrews, Rep. Madeleine Bordallo, Rep. Jeb Bradley, Rep. Kevin Brady, Rep. Henry Brown, Rep. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Dan Burton, Rep. Steve Chabot, Rep. Jo Anne Davis, Rep. Trent Franks, Rep. Scott Garrett, Rep. Phil Gingrey, Rep. Robin Hayes, Rep. Henry Hyde, Rep. Steve Israel, Rep. Nancy Johnson, Rep. Sue Kelly, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Rep. Peter King, Rep. Jim Langevin, Rep. Connie Mack, Rep. Kendrick Meek, Rep. Gregory Meeks, Rep. Ted Poe, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Rep. David Scott, Rep. Pete Sessions, Rep. Rob Simmons, Rep. Mark Souder, Rep. Tom Tancredo, Rep. Edolphus Towns, Rep. David Wu
三十三位美眾議員致函中國國民黨主席連戰，呼籲以大局為重，不要再阻隢立院軍購預算
包括重量級國際關係委員會主席海德在內的三十一位議員，在眾議員西蒙斯(Rob Simmons, R-CT)，安德魯斯(Robert Andrews (D-NJ)，布萊德利(Jeb Bradley, R-NH)，與萊文恩(James Langevin, D-RI)的領銜下，於今日聯署致函中國國民黨主席連戰，要求連戰協助快速通過軍購預算。
台灣人公共事務會在第一時間獲得了信函副本與聯署議員名單。
議員們在信中明顯地表達他們對於台灣反對黨一再阻撓軍購預算的不滿。他們認為，這些軍購預算所將採買的先進性武器將對台灣增強自我防衛能力扮演關鍵性的角色。
議員們表示：「中華人民共和國的反分裂國家法以及其積極擴張軍事裝備，在在顯示出中國對於台灣人民的敵意。台灣特別軍購預算案裡所將購買的武器，對於維持台海和平與穩定相當的重要。」議員們繼續表示：「無法通過特別預算，將使美國擔憂台灣維持自我防衛的能力，能否抵抗未來的外來侵略。」議員們最後在信中表示：「我們籲請您全力支持軍購案，並不再有任何延誤，以謹守貴黨支持堅強國防力量，以及堅定台美關係的承諾。」
這四位領銜的議員們在數日前一封致眾議院同僚，爭取聯署的國會內部信函明白地點出問題癥結在泛藍陣營：「陳水扁總統致力要通過這個十八億美元，購買美國武器的軍售案，卻一再被台灣立院反對黨所阻撓。尤其是才自中國參訪八天回來的連戰主席，一再阻止立院就特別預算案進行投票；即使他自己本身在國民黨於九零年代主政時期支持這樣的軍售案⋯⋯」
FAPA會長吳明基表示：「過去數個月來，FAPA從國會管道得知，台灣反對黨駐美辦公室曾向國會友人表示，軍購案無法通過，應該要怪罪於陳水扁總統。殊不知，美國朝野早已認清台灣軍售案遲遲擱置在立院，是因為反對黨陣營的從中作梗。如今，美國國會決定對症下藥，將矛頭指向連戰；證明泛藍把美國國會友人當作三歳小孩的技倆一點都不管用。」
