A standalone bill authorizing military aid for Taiwan and other U.S. allies passed with bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday local time, but its fate in the House remains unclear. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has signaled that his chamber would not vote on any aid bill that does not include strong border security measures.
The Senate passed the bill in a 70-29 vote, gaining the support of nearly half of Senate Republicans. It contains more than US$95 billion in military aid for several U.S. allies including Ukraine (US$60 billion), Israel (US$14 billion), and other allies in the Indo-Pacific region (US$4.83 billion) such as Taiwan.
Head of the Foreign Ministry’s North American Affairs Department Wang Liang-yu (王良玉) said on Thursday that there has been long-standing bipartisan support for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress. She adds that the ministry will continue to work with leaders from both parties and promote U.S.-Taiwan relations.
Wang was also asked about reports that Chairman of the House Select Committee on China Mike Gallagher will visit Taiwan beginning February 21. Wang says that the ministry has nothing to report regarding the chairman’s visit, and that relevant information will be reported in due course. She adds that Taiwan has always welcomed members of Congress visiting Taiwan to show their support.