Traveling to Taiwan with Intelligence Committee Colleagues

July 31, 2026 Enewsletters Dear Friend, This week, I have been talking overseas with Taiwanese leaders and American diplomats about the increasingly complex and consequential relationship we have and the obligations we have accepted. Back home, I have welcomed a substantial National Science Foundation grant to a professor at the University of Memphis, announced significant National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to four researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), reminded constituents of a September 1 deadline for taking on new casework, and offered a weekly health tip and a Bill Day cartoon. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky , Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens. Traveling to Taiwan with Intelligence Committee Colleagues Announcing National Science Foundation Grant to the University of Memphis Congratulating Four UTHSC Researchers on their NIH Grants Notifying Constituents of a September 1 Deadline for Casework Requests Weekly Health Tip A Bill Day Cartoon Quotes of the Week Traveling to Taiwan with Intelligence Committee Colleagues For the past several days, as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have been in meetings with Taiwanese officials and our diplomats and agents in Taiwan gaining a better perspective on that nation’s relationship with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and our treaty obligations and military preparedness. Most of what I learned is classified but from open source material we know that red China wants to complete its One China policy by taking over Taiwan. August 1, 2027, is the 100 th anniversary of the Nanching Uprising and the creation of the first independent communist army. Chinese President Xi Jinping has mentioned the anniversary in the context of Taiwan, and expectations are there will be some show of force at a minimum. One of the options communist China has is a blockade of Taiwan if they can’t secure a better political relationship through a change in leadership in the January 2028 elections. If the Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the most anti-red China and pro-independence party, shows increased strength, that could precipitate action from the PRC. If the Kuomintang (KMT), a more conciliatory party towards the PRC, shows greater strength, that could inhibit Xi from acting. The PRC will certainly try to influence the elections. Taiwan is the world’s major producer of sophisticated microchips and Xi would not be averse to taking over that industry and co-opting its intellectual leadership. There are plans to deter China and I was impressed with their plans and our efforts. China is a dangerous customer. They have a humongous weapons supply and have made a large investment in satellites that are a major part of their defense operations observing military powers around the Earth. They have no love for us, and they have desires to take over Taiwan and end its friendly relations with America eventually. Much of what I learned I can’t use except as it pertains to the budget the committee will present to Congress. This trip showed me that mentally I would have been up for the job had I decided to seek another term, and I feel that my experience is needed. I thank you for the opportunity to serve you for the past 20 years. Announcing National Science Foundation Grant to the University of Memphis On Thursday, I announced that Dr. Xiaolei Huang, a professor of computer science at the University of Memphis, will receive a grant of $528,137 from the National Science Foundation for research on soybean breeding. See my release here . Congratulating Four UTHSC Researchers on their NIH Grants Also Thursday, I announced that four researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) -- Dr. Zhongjie Sun, Dr. Jerrod R. Fortwendel, Dr. Wei Li and Dr. Helena Parfenova -- will receive a total of more than $2.4 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health. See details on their projects in this release . Notifying Constituents of a September 1 Deadline for Casework Requests As I prepare to leave Congress, I am particularly proud of the work my staff and I have done to improve lives by helping constituents with interactions with federal agencies like Medicare, Veterans Affairs, HUD, SNAP, the IRS and others. Realistically, resolving these issues takes time, so I have set a September 1 deadline for taking on new casework to ensure all constituents who reach out receive the attention and support they deserve. Weekly Health Tip Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease specialist of his generation, went before the Senate Homeland Security Committee Wednesday as its Republican members revisited their worn-out theories about the origins of the Covid-19 virus. My tip this week is to appreciate his sacrifices and service to this country and to condemn the politicization of science. A Bill Day Cartoon – “Paul and Fauci” Quotes of the Week “Before you abuse, criticize, and accuse, walk a mile in my shoes.” – Elvis Presley, who returned to the stage for the first time in eight years on this day in 1969 “The modern American right is very good at hating. MAGA hates immigrants (unless they’re white South Africans); it hates liberals; it hates scientists. What the ongoing show trial of (Dr. Anthony) Fauci …has really driven home, however, is that what Trump and his supporters hate most of all is reality. They know what they want to believe. They fly into paroxysms of rage whenever someone points out that the world isn’t what they want it to be. And they always want to shoot the messenger.” – Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman on Thursday in a column titled “Reality is a Communist Plot” As always, I remain… Sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress