• Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, one of the gravest errors that political leaders can make is to let politics get in the way of fundamental health needs. The clearest example of this that I know of in today's world is the insistence by the People's Republic of China on blocking membership for Taiwan in the World Health Organization.

• During the bird flu epidemic, the exclusion of Taiwan from the WHO was an interference with our ability as a global community to provide maximum protection for people against this terrible disease. There is of course a strong moral reason against excluding the millions of people from Taiwan from the benefits that they would receive from WHO participation. But for those for whom morality and respect for other human beings is not enough reason to overcome an effort to gain political advantage, self-interest should dictate to the PRC support for Taiwanese accession to the World Health Organization.

• This is especially the case now that travel between Taiwan and other places, including those under PRC rule has greatly increased. Ideology and sovereignty are no defense against germs and viruses. The World Health Organization does very important things in defense of humanity against illness, but its ability to perform that role is hampered by the exclusion of Taiwan from the World Health Organization and in all of our interests, I believe that our Government should be taking every possible step to ensure that the World Health Organization extends to Taiwan full membership.

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