TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson Monday (April 15) announced that he will put forward an aid package for Taiwan as a separate bill from funding for Ukraine and Israel.
Johnson said in a tweet he had just conferred with the House Republican conference on his approach to a long-delayed foreign aid package after the Iranian strikes on Israel over the weekend. He said he would break the Senate version into four separate bills: One for Taiwan, another for Ukraine, another for Israel, and one that would combine several national security priorities.
On Feb. 8, the U.S. Senate passed a US$95.34 billion (NT$3.1 trillion) foreign aid bill that included US$61 billion for Ukraine, US$14 billion for Israel, and US$4.83 billion for Taiwan and other partners in the Indo-Pacific. However, the bill has stalled for over two months in the House as Johnson faced intense pressure from Republicans allied with former President Trump, who opposes further monetary aid for Ukraine.
At a Monday press conference following the Republican conference, Johnson said that amid a series of global crises, “We know that the world is watching us to see how we react.” He said “terrorists and tyrants and terrible leaders" such as Putin, Xi, and Khamenei are "watching to see if America will stand up for its allies and our interests around the globe."
Johnson then announced the House would not vote on the Senate bill, but rather vote on each of the main measures in “four different pieces." He said House members will be given 72 hours to review the bills and estimated a vote will take place on Friday evening (April 19).
Update: 04/16 3:35 p.m.
In response to a request by Taiwan News to comment on Johnson's proposal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) said that the ministry has always respected the democratic legislative process of all countries and has no comment on the specific details of this bill. Liu said the ministry reiterates its gratitude to the White House and bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress for consistently expressing concern about maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
“The United States' commitment to Taiwan's security has become a clear consensus in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and has garnered bipartisan support,” said Liu. He added that MOFA will continue to closely monitor the progress of relevant bills.