[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 99 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 619. Mr. GARDNER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 1790, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2020 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 12__. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASIA REASSURANCE INITIATIVE 
                   ACT WITH REGARD TO TAIWAN ARMS SALES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The Department of Defense Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, 
     released on June 1, 2019, states: ``[T]he Asia Reassurance 
     Initiative Act, a major bipartisan legislation, was signed 
     into law by President Trump on December 31, 2018. This 
     legislation enshrines a generational whole-of-government 
     policy framework that demonstrates U.S. commitment to a free 
     and open Indo-Pacific region and includes initiatives that 
     promote sovereignty, rule of law, democracy, economic 
     engagement, and regional security.''.
       (2) The Indo-Pacific Strategy Report further states: ``The 
     United States has a vital interest in upholding the rules-
     based international order, which includes a strong, 
     prosperous, and democratic Taiwan. . .The Department [of 
     Defense] is committed to providing Taiwan with defense 
     articles and services in such quantity as may be necessary to 
     enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense 
     capability.''.
       (3) Section 209(b) of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act 
     of 2018 (Public Law 115-409), signed into law on December 31, 
     2018--
       (A) builds on longstanding commitments enshrined in the 
     Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) to provide 
     Taiwan with defense articles; and
       (B) states: ``The President should conduct regular 
     transfers of defense articles to Taiwan that are tailored to 
     meet the existing and likely future threats from the People's 
     Republic of China, including supporting the efforts of Taiwan 
     to develop and integrate asymmetric capabilities, as 
     appropriate, including mobile, survivable, and cost-effective 
     capabilities, into its military forces.''.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 
     115-409) has recommitted the United States to support the 
     close, economic, political, and security relationship between 
     the United States and Taiwan; and
       (2) the United States should fully implement the provisions 
     of that Act with regard to regular defensive arms sales to 
     Taiwan.
       (c) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the 
     Secretary of Defense, or their designees, shall brief the 
     appropriate committees of Congress on the efforts to 
     implement section 209(b) of the Asia Reassurance Initiative 
     Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-409).
       (d) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
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