McConnell, Colleagues Press Administration on Stalled Taiwan Aid, Arms

WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), along with Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Thom Tillis (R-NC), sent a letter today to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth regarding the status of Taiwan security cooperation funds appropriated in FY26 but not yet obligated, and of $14 billion in arms sales to Taiwan awaiting Administration approval. Full text of the letter is below (original letter HERE ): ** Dear Secretary Rubio and Secretary Hegseth: We write to express concern regarding the Department of State’s intention not to obligate $300 million in foreign military financing (FMF) appropriated by the Congress for Taiwan during fiscal year 2026, the failure of the Department of Defense to obligate $1 billion in fiscal year 2026 funding for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI), and the Administration’s decision to withhold approval of a $14 billion package of foreign military sales (FMS) to Taiwan. Secretary Rubio, your former Senate colleagues remember well the prominent and vocal role you played in marshaling Congressional support for deeper and more unflinching security cooperation with Taiwan. Upon introducing legislation in 2023 designed in part to expedite U.S. military sales to Taiwan, you went as far as to observe that, “deterring an invasion of Taiwan must be our top priority.” Secretary Hegseth, you have likewise made clear that the United States, “will not let our allies and partners be subordinated and intimidated” and warned that “the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.” Over the last two years, the Senate has continued to affirm the U.S.-Taiwan security relationship as central to the security of our interests in the Indo-Pacific, approving record military sales, appropriating hundreds of millions of dollars in FMF, and appropriating $1 billion to Defense Department security assistance efforts intended for Taiwan. These investments, along with Taiwan’s own historic defense budget increase intended to facilitate American weapons, are critical to the kind of deterrence by denial that will prevent conflict. It is especially confusing that the Administration would withhold approval of the very arms purchases it aggressively pushed Taiwan to make. We are concerned by President Trump’s description of Taiwan as “a very good negotiating chip” in engagements with Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party. It is difficult to imagine how the United States might credibly project influence deterrence in the Indo-Pacific if the price of keeping up diplomatic appearances is denying our partners key deterrent capabilities. The President would do well to consider what followed when his predecessor decided to freeze a planned package of assistance to Ukraine ahead of a summit with President Putin in 2021. Individually, instances of delayed or denied assistance test the strength of a security relationship you have described as essential. Together, despite your personal assurances earlier this year that Taiwan is not on the table in talks between President Trump and President Xi, they leave us with serious concerns about the strength of U.S. commitments to key partners and allies in Asia and across the globe. Therefore, we request timely answers to the following questions: Why has the Department of State not obligated $300 million of FY26 FMF for Taiwan as appropriated by the Congress? Given that the 2026 National Defense Strategy states the Administration’s intention to “erect a strong denial defense along the First Island Chain” and “enable key regional allies and partners to do more for our collective defense,” why has the Department of Defense not obligated $1 billion in FY26 funding for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative? Does it intend to obligate these funds? If so, when, and toward what specific capabilities and purposes? Thank you for your prompt attention to these requests. ** Background: As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, McConnell led the effort to secure over $1 billion in security assistance to Taiwan in the FY26 Defense Appropriations bill that was signed into law by President Trump. On May 21st, during a Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Chairman McConnell also pressed Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao on reports of a freeze on $14 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, which the Administration had urged the Taiwanese to make.