The Taiwan Policy Act of 2011 is back on track in the US House of Representatives after being held up for weeks on a procedural issue.
It is now likely to come to a vote late next month or early May and is expected to pass the Republican-controlled House without problem.
The bill will then move to the Democrat-controlled US Senate, where it faces serious obstacles. Nevertheless, supporters say that it will still serve as a signal of strong support for Taiwan from the House.
To overcome objections from some members of the House Judiciary Committee, the part of the bill dealing with the US’ visa-waiver program has been removed.
The visa-waiver program will continue to proceed independently and is expected to be implemented before the end of the year.
Taiwan was nominated to the program in December last year and the move has bipartisan support and is backed by US President Barack Obama.
However, some Judiciary Committee members saw the inclusion of visa-waiver program language in the Taiwan Policy Act as a complicating factor and to let the act proceed, the issue was struck from the Taiwan Policy Act.
US congressional sources said US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairperson of the House Foreign Relations Committee, now wants to see the act passed by a floor vote before she leaves to visit Taiwan on May 18.
“We are very pleased that this important piece of legislation is moving forward,” said Terri Giles, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Formosa Foundation.
The act has about 30 cosponsors and in no way amends or supersedes the Taiwan Relations Act.
It clarifies US foreign policy as supporting Taiwan and the human rights of its people; it calls for all US and Taiwanese officials to be able to meet normally; it supports a comprehensive extradition agreement and promotes the sale of F-16C/D aircraft to Taiwan.
Among other provisions, the act calls for the negotiation of a free-trade agreement with Taiwan and asks the US Department of State to continue its program to ensure meaningful participation by Taiwan in international organizations.
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