For Immediate Release
Washington DC – November 18, 2009
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Senior House Members Introduce Legislation Re. Arms Sales For Taiwan – Resolution Seeks to Reinvigorate Congressional Oversight on Defense Consultation
In an attempt to pressure the Obama administration to expedite a decision on F-16C/Ds sale and notify Congress of the remainder of the defense services and articles for Taiwan that were approved by the Bush administration, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), along with Taiwan caucus co-chairs, Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Phil Gingrey (R-GA) and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), and Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA), Mike Ross (D-AK), Dan Burton (R-IN) and Walter Minnick (D-ID) introduced H.R. 4102 this afternoon, requiring the administration to provide detailed briefings to Congress on U.S. arms sale to Taiwan.
The bill, if passed, would “mandate briefings no later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and at least annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall provide detailed briefings to Congress on (1) any discussions conducted between any executive branch agency and the Government of Taiwan; (2) any potential transfer of defense articles or defense services to the Government of Taiwan.”
FAPA President Bob Yang says, “The introduction of the resolution today is most timely as Taiwan supporters are disturbed by President Obama’s statements in China in regards to Taiwan. President Obama’s omission of the Taiwan Relations Act while stating that the U.S. respects China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity through the three joint communiqués is likely to embolden China to press even harder her spurious claim over Taiwan. Such statements seriously undermine U.S. legitimacy to continue providing defense articles and services to Taiwan as codified in the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8) and compromise the strategic interests of not only Taiwan but also of the U.S. in the region.”
Yang continues, “For the past few years, members of Congress have been expressing strong concern about the stalemate in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Their repeated appeals to the administration went unheeded. Annual briefings, as mandated by this bill, will reassert Congress’ prerogative to co-determine with the President the nature and the quantity of the defense articles and services for Taiwan, as stated in Section 3(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act.”
美資深眾議員提出對台軍售法案，重拾美國國會軍售諮商監督權
為了施壓歐巴馬政府儘快就出售台灣F-16一事作出決定，以及儘快通知美國國國會數項布希政府已通過的相關軍售，眾議院外交委員會副主席蘿斯列敦娜(Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL)與台灣連線三位共同主席柏克莉(Shelley Berkley, D-NV)、金格瑞(Phil Gingrey, R-GA)、迪亞斯巴拉特(Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-FL)，以及眾議員羅依斯(Ed Royce, R-CA)、羅斯(Mike Ross, D-AK)、柏頓(Dan Burton, R-IN)與明尼克(Walt Minnick, D-ID)，特於今日下午提出第4102號議案，要求行政部門向國會詳細報告對台軍售事宜。
此項法案如果正式通過，將要求美國國務卿與國防部長相磋商，在法案通過90天之內，以及往後每年向國會就台灣政府與行政部門之間的討論，以及未來可能的對台軍售進行詳細簡報。
FAPA會長楊英育表示：「這項法案在今天正式提出，是再適當也不過的時機，因為許多台灣支持者對歐巴馬總統在中國發表的聲明感到不安。歐巴馬總統在美中共同聲明中提及美國透過三項公報尊重中國的主權與領土完整，卻未提及台灣關係法，將有可能導致中國得寸進尺，強化中國擁有台灣主權的荒謬立場。這樣的聲明嚴重損及台灣關係法裡美國有權提供台灣防衛武器的正當性，更影響到台灣與美國在當地的戰略利益。蘿斯列敦娜議員今天提出的法案與與她去年第6646號議案相類似。我們尤其支持她今年這項法案中提到行政部門對台軍售的國會簡報必須年年實行。」
楊英育接著表示：「過去幾年來，部份國會議員多次強烈關切美國對台軍售一再遭到擱置。他們的關心與訴求很可惜的並未受到行政部門的採納。正因如此，今天這項法案裡特別制訂年度簡報的要求，這正是美國國會意欲重拾主導權，以符合台灣關係法第三條(b)項條文規定，由行政部門與國會共同決定對台軍售的質與量。」
H.R.4102
