Funding to government agencies that are working with Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific Region?

Foreign Affairs/Relations Government Operations (e.g., Election Laws)
Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8036)
This bill has Passed the House of Representatives
Bill Summary

H.R. 8036 provides $8 billion in additional funding to the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of State to support Taiwan and United States activities in the Indo-Pacific. This bill designates this funding as emergency spending, which is not subject to discretionary spending limits. The funding will go toward various aims, including refunding the DOD for defense technology, services, and items provided to Taiwan and improving the United States submarine industrial base in the region. H.R. 8036 also gives the President the power to transfer defense articles and services from the DOD to other states and international organizations. Sponsor: Rep. Tom Cole (Republican, Oklahoma, District 4)
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Opponents say

•      "This is one of the toughest votes I’ve cast during my years in the Senate. It was a close call, because there are good elements in the bill that I strongly support. [...] The bill includes $8 billion in funding for our Taiwanese allies to defend themselves against the aggression of the CCP. I have long emphasized that China represents the most significant long-term threat to the national security of the United States. Taiwan is on the front lines of China’s global aggression, and it is critical that the U.S. continue standing with the people and government of Taiwan. That being said, the other elements of the bill were too problematic for me to support the entire package. First, the bill spends over $9 billion in so-called humanitarian aid, much of which will go to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and is sure to be diverted to fund yet more terrorism. Second, I am very concerned about the $3.4 billion reserved for ‘migration and refugee assistance’. The Biden administration has historically used this funding to pour cash into NGOs that are assisting with illegal immigration at the Texas-Mexico border. Finally, the decisive reason I could not support this bill is because it did nothing to secure the Texas-Mexico border." Source: Sen. Ted Cruz (Republican, Texas)


•      "These bills were brought forward under a contrived process to achieve a pre-determined outcome — a $100 billion, unpaid-for foreign aid package while failing to secure the southern border. 

[...] Despite assertions of an “open” process, the foreign aid bills were brought forward with anything but.  While individual votes were held on assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, and a package that included a bill forcing the CCP to divest from TikTok (among other items), the rule providing for their consideration packaged the bills together as an amendment to the Senate-passed foreign aid bill.  Worse still, a mere seven amendments received consideration on these bills, despite over 300 having been filed, and not a single amendment to secure the border was made in order." Source: Rep. Chip Roy (Republican, Texas, District 21)


•      "Frankly, we [Congress] borrowed 95 billion dollars that we don't have. I asked the speaker to allow us to pay for it; let's cut spending so we don't have to borrow from our kids and our grandkids. At some point, 35 trillion dollars in national debt has to matter and we can't keep exacerbating that by borrowing and sending money overseas.We passed these bills with overwhelming Democrat support. The Ukraine bill - the Democrats voted 210 to 0. We could have utilized that to negotiate to secure border security to stop the border invasion. The speaker [Mike Johnson] failed to do that." Source: Rep. Bob Good (Republican, Virginia, District 5)

Proponents say

•     "Today, members of both parties in the House voted to advance our national security interests and send a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage. At this critical inflection point, they came together to answer history’s call, passing urgently-needed national security legislation that I have fought for months to secure. This package will deliver critical support to Israel and Ukraine; provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and other locations impacted by conflicts and natural disasters around the world; and bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. It comes at a moment of grave urgency, with Israel facing unprecedented attacks from Iran, and Ukraine under continued bombardment from Russia. I want to thank Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, and the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the House who voted to put our national security first." Source: President Joe Biden (Democrat)


•      "The Senate sent us effectively a blank check for foreign aid, and that was not going to work for the policy or the process in the House. It is a better process to break the bills up into four separate measures for consideration and that is what we will have tomorrow. Everyone can vote their will and their constituents desires on Israel aid, the Ukrainian aid, the Indo-Pacific, and our fourth national security package that has all of the innovations in it…So, by doing this, even though it’s not the perfect legislation, it’s not the legislation that we would write if Republicans were in charge of both the House, the Senate, and the White House, this is the best possible product that we can get under these circumstances to take care of these really important obligations. And so, we look forward to the vote tomorrow. We look forward to every member voting their conscience and their desire. And that is exactly how this process is supposed to work and how the House is supposed to operate. We’re happy to provide that and we’ll give you more comment tomorrow." Source: Sen. Mike Johnson (Republican, Louisiana, District 4) 


•      "I also voted in favor of a bill that will strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific – one of my highest priorities in Congress. If Xi Xinping follows in Putin’s footsteps and does exactly what he’s said he will do, invading Taiwan, this could go nuclear and literally result in World War III. The stakes couldn’t be higher, so we must succeed at deterrence. This $8.1 billion will bolster the submarine industrial base, provide defensive capabilities to Taiwan and Guam, and strengthen partnerships with our other allies in the Indo-Pacific. President Xi is watching closely as we aim to make him think twice before using force to “reunify” with Taiwan, which he has ordered his army to be ready to do by 2027 [...] America is stronger and safer when it is engaged abroad, when we support our allies in word and deed, and when we defend democracy around the world. Our adversaries were watching these bills closely, hoping that our political divisions would prevent us from doing the right thing." Source: Rep. Seth Moulton (Democrat, Massachusetts, District 6)

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