[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5259-S5260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3499. Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. Curtis) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2296, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 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:
[[Page S5260]]
At the end of title XII, add the following:
Subtitle F--Taiwan Allies Fund
SEC. 1271. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Taiwan Allies Fund
Act''.
SEC. 1272. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Taiwan is a free and prosperous democracy of more than
23,000,000 people and an important contributor to peace and
stability around the world.
(2) The People's Republic of China has engaged in a years-
long campaign to diplomatically isolate Taiwan on the world
stage.
(3) Since 2013, the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Panama,
the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, the
Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nicaragua, Honduras, and, most
recently in 2024, Nauru have severed diplomatic relations
with Taiwan in favor of diplomatic relations with the
People's Republic of China.
(4) The People's Republic of China has used economic and
diplomatic intimidation against countries pursuing unofficial
relations with Taiwan, including Lithuania, Czechia, and the
United States.
(5) The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 (Public Law 96-8)
states that it is the policy of the United States ``to
maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any
resort to force or other forms of coercion that would
jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of
the people on Taiwan''.
(6) The Taiwan Allies International Protection and
Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-
135) states that the United States Government should--
(A) ``support Taiwan in strengthening its official
diplomatic relationships as well as other partnerships with
countries in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world'';
and
(B) ``consider, in certain cases as appropriate and in
alignment with United States interests, increasing its
economic, security, and diplomatic engagement with nations
that have demonstrably strengthened, enhanced, or upgraded
relations with Taiwan''.
SEC. 1273. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States
Government should--
(1) advocate, as appropriate, for Taiwan's presence on the
global stage, including at international organizations;
(2) promote the preservation and expansion of Taiwan's
official diplomatic relations with countries around the
world;
(3) expand Taiwan's unofficial relations with countries
around the world;
(4) encourage countries with unofficial relations with
Taiwan to deepen their engagement; and
(5) advance the economic development of countries that
support democratic partners like Taiwan.
SEC. 1274. TAIWAN ALLIES FUND.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts made
available under the Countering PRC Influence Fund for each of
the fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028, there is authorized to
be appropriated $40,000,000 for each such fiscal year to
support Taiwan's international space.
(b) Eligible Countries.--Amounts available pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) may be
used in countries that--
(1) maintain official relations with Taiwan or have
meaningfully strengthened unofficial relations with Taiwan;
(2) have been subject to coercion or pressure by the
People's Republic of China due to their relations with
Taiwan; and
(3) lack the economic or political capability to
effectively respond to such coercion or pressure by the
People's Republic of China without the support of the United
States.
(c) Use of Funds.--Amounts available pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) may be
used to support any of the following activities in the
countries described in subsection (b):
(1) To support health initiatives that provide alternatives
to the Health Silk Road.
(2) To build the capacity and resilience of civil society,
media, and other nongovernmental organizations in countering
the influence and propaganda of the People's Republic of
China.
(3) To diversify supply chains away from the People's
Republic of China.
(4) To provide alternatives to People's Republic of China
development assistance and project financing.
(5) To advance Taiwan's meaningful participation in
international fora and multilateral organizations.
(6) To work with the private sector to provide United
States or allied alternatives to People's Republic of China
information and communications technology infrastructure and
components.
(d) Limitation on Funds.--A country described in subsection
(b) may not receive more than $5,000,000 of funds made
available pursuant to the authorization of appropriations
under subsection (a) during any fiscal year.
(e) Implementation.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State, in consultation
with the Administrator for the United States Agency for
International Development, the Director of the American
Institute in Taiwan, and the heads other relevant Federal
agencies, shall coordinate and carry out activities described
in subsection (c).
(2) Authorities.--Amounts available pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) may be
considered foreign assistance under the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) for purposes of making
available the administrative authorities in that Act and may
be transferred to, and merged with, funds made available for
any provision of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to carry
out the purposes of this section, except that such funds
shall remain available until expended.
(3) Coordination with taiwan.--In order to maximize cost
efficiency and eliminate duplication, the Secretary of State,
in consultation with the Administrator for the United States
Agency for International Development, should work with the
Director of the American Institute in Taiwan to ensure
coordination with relevant parties of Taiwan, as appropriate.
(4) Cost-sharing with taiwan.--The Secretary of State
should convey to relevant parties of Taiwan, as appropriate,
that Taiwan should contribute commensurate assistance to
countries described in subsection (b).
(5) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter for
two years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on activities
described in this section that were carried out during the
preceding fiscal year.
(B) Elements.--Each report required by subparagraph (A)
shall include--
(i) with respect to each activity described in subsection
(c)--
(I) the amount of funding for the activity;
(II) the goal to which the activity relates; and
(III) an assessment of the success of the activity to meet
the goal to which the activity relates; and
(ii) with respect to this subsection--
(I) the amount of funding for the activity provided by
Taiwan during the preceding year, if any; and
(II) an assessment of whether the funding described in
subclause (I) is commensurate with funding provided by the
United States.
(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to apply to or limit United States foreign
assistance not provided using amounts available pursuant to
the authorization of appropriations under subsection (a).
(g) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
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