White House Reportedly Pushing Dems To Halt Pro-Taiwan Bill

President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly pushing Democrats to halt a pro-Taiwan bill amid increased tensions between the U.S. and China, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

The bipartisan bill was introduced by Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham in mid-June. The legislation bills itself as “the most comprehensive restructuring of U.S. policy towards Taiwan since the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979” and includes a proposal to designate the country as an official major non-NATO.

“Specifically, the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 creates a new initiative to bolster Taiwan’s defense capabilities, providing almost $4.5 billion in security assistance over the next four years,” a press release from Menendez and Graham on the bill reads. “The bill also bolsters support for Taiwan’s democratic government; provides additional support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and in multilateral trade architecture; takes concrete steps to counter PRC’s aggressive coercion and influence campaigns; creates a Taiwan Fellowship Program; and designates Taiwan as a Major Non-NATO Ally.”