Senate Unanimously Passes “WHO For Taiwan” Bill

On May 6, 2004, the Senate unanimously passed S. 2092 authorizing the Secretary of State “to introduce a resolution in support of observer status for Taiwan at the summit of the World Health Assembly.”

At passage the bill enjoyed the co-sponsorship of the following Senators: Sen. George Allen (VA), Sen. Christopher S. Bond (MO), Sen. Saxby Chambliss (GA), Sen. Susan Collins (ME), Sen. Mike Crapo (ID), Sen. Dick Durbin (IL), Sen. Russ Feingold (WI), Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK), Sen. Tim Johnson (SD), Sen Jon Kyl (AZ), Sen. Joe Lieberman (CT), Sen. Trent Lott (MS), Sen. Jeff Sessions (AL), Sen. George Voinovich (OH).

Additionally, the bill authorizes the Secretary of State “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 each year in Geneva, Switzerland.”

FAPA President Ming-chi Wu states: “Given the fact that the language of S.2092 is stronger than the bill that was originally introduced in the House in February, illustrates that the Congress is getting impatient with the lackluster actions the State Department’s has taken in support of Taiwan’s WHO bid. The ball is in the State Department’s court now. Hopefully the State Department will not disappoint Congress this year again.”

Photo Credit: United States Government Work (Flickr)

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Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes “WHO For Taiwan” Bill

On April 29, 2004, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed legislation (S2092), concluding: The Secretary of State is authorized to—

(1) 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 2004 in Geneva, Switzerland;

(2) instruct the United States delegation to the World Health Assembly in Geneva to implement that plan; and

(3) introduce a resolution in support of observer status for Taiwan at the summit of the World Health Assembly.

(c) REPORT- Not later than 14 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to Congress in unclassified form describing the action taken to carry out the plan described in subsection (b).

The bill was introduced on February 12 by the following 11 Senators: George Allen (R-VA), James Inhofe (R-OK), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Joe Lieberman (D-CT), Trent Lott (R-MS), Richard Durbin (D-IL), George Voinovich (R-OH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Kit Bond (R-MO).

The bill will now move to the full Senate for consideration.

Senator George Allen (R-VA), who is leading the “WHO For Taiwan” effort in the Senate, stated upon passage of the bill: “It would be tantamount to medical malpractice to exclude Taiwan from participation in the assessment, treatment and cure of the world’s dangerous diseases.” (See: below for transcript Press Release.)

According to FAPA President Ming-chi Wu, Ph.D.: “Right before he left China earlier this month, WHO Director General Lee made the comment that he does not welcome Taiwan’s participation in the WHO. Soon thereafter, SARS reared its head in China. With Taiwan’s geographic proximity to China, Taiwan can not be excluded from the WHO any longer. It is high time that the WHO let Taiwan in next month.”

擔憂SARS重返台灣之際，美參院外委會通過法案，支持台灣參與世衛

正當中國出現多起SARS可疑疫情的病例，導致全台再度陷入SARS警戒之際，美參議院外交委員會於今日通過第2092法案，支持台灣以觀察員的身分參與下個月中旬，即將於日內瓦召開的的世界衛生組織大會。

第2092法案是由維吉尼亞州，也是參議院台灣連線共同主席之一的艾倫（George Allen, R- VA）參議員所引進，並獲得11位參議員的連署。這11位參議員當中並包括另一位參議院台灣連線共同主席強森(Tim Johnson, D-SD)，以及已經退出角逐爭取民主黨提名的總統候選人李柏曼(Joe Lieberman, D-CT)參議員。其他參與連署的議員們分別為：James Inhofe (R-OK), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), 　Trent Lott (R-MS), Richard Durbin (D-IL), George Voinovich (R-OH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Kit Bond (R-MO)。

艾倫參議員今天在新聞稿裡也表示：「將台灣排除在世界醫療體系外，阻絕他們參與如SARS等各種危險疾病的評估、治療與防治工作，這樣的作法如同是草菅人命。」

FAPA會長吳明基表示：「自1999年參議院每年引進WHO議案以來，今年是有史以來原始提案人(original cosponsors)人數最多的一年。數位非參議院台灣連線成員的參議員也一併加入今年的連署行列，證明了參議院對於台灣參與世衛的廣泛支持。」吳明基接著表示：「在世衛執行長李鍾郁才前腳離開中國，並在臨行前發表不歡迎台灣加入世界衛生組織的談話，中國接者就爆發出SARS疫情的報告。疾病無國界，台灣無法幸免於SARS再度登台的可能性之外。台灣沒有繼續再被拒絕在世衛大門之外的道理。世衛應該在下個月即將召開的大會上，正視台灣申請參與世衛的議題，儘速讓台灣加入世衛，成為全球醫療體系的成員之一。」

今天在參院外委會通過的法案與日前眾議院通過的第4019號法案，兩院版本雷同。預計參議院全院將在近期通過第2092號法案。

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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