[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3790-S3791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6596. Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. Curtis) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 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 title XII, add the following:

                   Subtitle F--Taiwan Allies Fund Act

     SEC. 1281. SHORT TITLE.

       This subtitle may be cited as the ``Taiwan Allies Fund 
     Act''.

     SEC. 1282. 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 (PRC) 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. 1283. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that the United States 
     Government should--
       (1) advocate, as appropriate, for Taiwan's engagement 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 Taiwan.

     SEC. 1284. TAIWAN ALLIES FUND.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts made 
     available under the Countering People's Republic of China 
     Influence Fund for each of fiscal years 2027, 2028, and 2029, 
     there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 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 the 
     Secretary of State certifies to Congress 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) if such activities have 
     a direct linkage to the goal of supporting Taiwan's 
     international engagement, are aligned with clear and 
     justifiable United States counter-PRC strategic imperatives 
     that guide all programs funded by the Counter PRC Influence 
     Fund, and support United States national interests:
       (1) To support initiatives that provide alternatives to the 
     People's Republic of China health, digital, and energy 
     initiatives.
       (2) To build the capacity and resilience of civil society, 
     media, and other nongovernmental organizations in countering 
     the malign influence of the People's Republic of China.
       (3) To diversify supply chains away from the People's 
     Republic of China, particularly to mitigate vulnerabilities 
     to PRC economic coercion.
       (4) To provide alternatives to People's Republic of China 
     development assistance and project financing and to expose 
     the People's Republic of China's failure to deliver on 
     development promises or other negative aspects of PRC 
     development assistance.
       (5) To support Taiwan's official or unofficial diplomatic 
     presence abroad or advance Taiwan's meaningful participation 
     in international fora and multilateral organizations.
       (6) To provide United States or allied alternatives to 
     People's Republic of China information and communications 
     technology infrastructure and components, in coordination 
     with the private sector, as appropriate.
       (7) To strengthen the capacity of partner countries to 
     address and reduce the impacts of foreign malign influence 
     operations, propaganda, and other asymmetric informational 
     activities originating from the People's Republic of China.
       (8) To mitigate a country's specific vulnerabilities to the 
     People's Republic of China's coercion over the country's 
     relationship with Taiwan.
       (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 heads of 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 
     should ensure coordination with relevant counterparts in 
     Taiwan, as appropriate.
       (4) Cost-sharing with taiwan.--The Secretary of State 
     shall, to the maximum extent practicable, encourage cost-
     sharing arrangements with Taiwan for the assistance described 
     in subsection (b) or otherwise complementary assistance.

[[Page S3791]]

       (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 and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
                                 ______