The bill, called the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, was approved by a 17-5 vote, with Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voting against the measure, according to a Democratic aide.
The bill now heads to the Senate floor. It remains unclear when it will get a vote.
A State Department spokesperson said at the time that the sales were in line with the United States’ policy on Taiwan, noting the longstanding history of the US providing defensive weapons to the island.
The “swift provision” of such arms, they said, was “essential for Taiwan’s security and we will continue to work with industry to support that goal.”
Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez nodded to the visits in announcing the legislation on Wednesday.
“After soliciting and incorporating input from Members of the Committee to address wide-ranging views and concerns, holding multiple hearings and briefings on this issue, as well as allowing for Committee members to travel to Taiwan, we passed a comprehensive piece of legislation to lay a new and bipartisan path forward for U.S.-Taiwan policy that maintains cross-Strait stability, all while reinforcing a status quo that is under threat from Beijing and that, without reinforcement, would inevitably and invariably collapse,” the New Jersey Democrat said.
