Seven House Democrats vote only “no” on bill requiring State Department reports on Taiwan guidelines

Seven progressive House Democrats voted against a bill on Wednesday that would require periodic reviews and updated reporting regarding the State Department’s guidelines for US engagement with Taiwan, marking the only opposition to the bill.

Parliament approved Measures By a landslide of 404 votes to 7, with all the opposition coming from Democrats: Representatives: Jamal Bowman (New York), Greg Cassar (Texas), Summer Lee (Pennsylvania), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota). Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Delia Ramirez (Illinois) voted against the measure.

The bill calls for amending the Taiwan Guarantee Act of 2020 — which then-President Trump signed into law in December 2020 as part of the government funding bill — to require the secretary of state to conduct periodic reviews no less than every two years.

Taiwan guarantee law – according to a statement From Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), one of the bill’s sponsors – required the State Department to reassess the limitations it has placed on US relations with Taiwan. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lifted All those restrictions in January 2021.

in statement In announcing the measure, Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mis.), a sponsor of the bill, said revisions and updates should clarify how the guidelines deepen and broaden US-Taiwan relations, and recognize opportunities to remove “any remaining personal-imposed restrictions on sharing between The United States and Taiwan and developed a plan to do so.

In addition, updates from the State Department will be needed to “give due consideration to the fact that Taiwan is a democratic partner and a free and open society that respects universal human rights and democratic values” and to ensure that the way the United States conducts its relationship with Taiwan “reflects the longstanding, comprehensive and existing relationship on the values ​​that the United States shares with Taiwan” and contribute to the peaceful resolution of issues across the Strait.

Neither the seven Democrats on the House floor nor on social media have indicated why they voted against the measure. Hill has reached out to them for comment.

Bowman, Omar and Ramirez — joined by Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) — were also the only lawmakers to vote against. invoice On Thursday he will direct the Secretary of State to report to Congress on the Department’s efforts to implement the Advanced Capabilities Section of the Trilateral Security Partnership of the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, commonly referred to as AUKUS.

None of the four described their vote on social media.

President Biden and then-Prime Ministers of Australia and the United Kingdom announced the AUKUS partnership in September 2021, presenting it as a trilateral security partnership focused on the Indo-Pacific as a veiled way to challenge China’s growing power in the region.

The report will include, in accordance with the procedure, information on reviews of applications for licenses to export defense articles or services to Australia or the United Kingdom from 2021 and 2022. For financial years 2017 through 2022, the number of cases of voluntary disclosure that resulted in a violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations will be included that include Australia or the United Kingdom in the report.

In addition, the report will include an assessment of key recommendations made by the United States to the governments of Australia and the United Kingdom to review their countries’ laws, regulations and policies required to implement the AUKUS Partnership.