The U.S. Capitol Building. CNA file photo
Taipei, Feb. 15 (CNA) A senior Taiwanese diplomat on Thursday expressed gratitude to the United States Senate for passing a US$95 billion foreign aid package that includes funding for Taiwan, saying that it again exemplified bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for Taiwan.
Wang Liang-yu (王良玉), head of North American Affairs Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the ministry would continue to closely monitor the bill's progress in the House of Representatives, after House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the Republican-led lower chamber would reject it because it did not contain provisions for U.S. border security.
The Border Policy and National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act seeks to provide US$95.34 billion in foreign aid, including US$4.83 billion to Taiwan and other U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region. It also provides for US$61 billion in aid to Ukraine, amid its war with Russia, and US$14 billion for Israel in its conflict against Hamas.
The bill was passed in the Senate on Tuesday with a 70-29 vote, with the support of 22 Republicans but stripped of the immigration and border reforms that it had earlier included, as Republicans backpedaled on those provisions.
On Wednesday, Johnson said the U.S. House would not feel "rushed" to pass the US$95.3 billion foreign aid package, signaling a continued stalemate on the supply of military hardware and munitions to Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.
On the question of how the bill's potential stall in the House might affect Taiwan, Wang did not give a direct answer, saying only that bipartisan support for Taiwan's security needs remains strong on Capitol Hill.
"We will continue to work closely with our friends in the U.S., based on a solid and longstanding foundation," she added.
According to the version of the bill passed by the Senate, up to US$1.9 billion of the proposed total US$4.83 billion would be made available to Taiwan until Sept. 30, 2025 to procure new weapon systems and services from the U.S. and to fund military education and training.
To be implemented, the foreign aid bill must first be passed by both the Senate and the House, after which it has to be sent to the U.S. president to be signed into law.
House Speaker Johnson told reporters in the U.S. on Tuesday that he does not intend to bring the bill to the House floor, as the lower chamber is focused on more "immediate deadlines."
The earlier version of the bill had been held up in the Senate for months as senators from the two parties tried to reach a deal on stricter border policies. When it was finally brought forward, with substantial input from Republicans, it failed in the Senate, as Republicans insisted it was not tough enough.
It was then stripped of the border security provisions and put forth again with only the foreign aid proposals.
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