TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A US House committee advanced a defense policy bill Friday that would set aside up to US$1 billion (NT$31 billion) for Taiwan security cooperation and require a review of crisis communications links.
The House Armed Services Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act 44-12 after a 14-hour markup, per CNA.
The Taiwan funding would come under the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, a program tied to the FY2025 NDAA and aimed at helping Taiwan improve its self-defense capacity. Committee materials placed the measure in the bill’s Indo-Pacific provisions.
House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers said in a statement that the broader bill — beyond the Taiwan aspects — authorizes US$1.15 trillion in discretionary defense funds and is meant to strengthen deterrence, rebuild the defense industrial base, and invest in new technologies.
Another Taiwan-related section focuses on resilient communications between the US and Taiwan, per the report. It says damage or disruption to communications infrastructure during a conflict could limit Taiwan’s ability to coordinate with US forces and partners.
The measure directs the US defense secretary to submit a report to congressional defense committees by March 1, 2027. The review would examine whether mobile ad hoc networks and commercially derived communications systems in Taiwan could support US operational needs in contested or degraded environments, according to the report.
The Senate panel is scheduled to begin work on its own FY2027 defense bill on June 10. Any final NDAA would still need agreement between the two chambers before going to the president.
