• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Increasing arms sales to Taiwan: US Congress passes bill

Published: Oct. 7, 1999 Source: Liberty Times

The U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 5 passed the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000 by 214 votes to 211. One clause of the act stipulates that if Taiwan expresses an intent to buy weapons and the matter is cleared by the U.S. military, the executive branch must notify and consult Congress before approving the purchase.

This clause strengthens the influence of Congress on Taiwan's weapons purchases, and should help Taiwan buy the weapons it needs. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott introduced it at the review stage of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, which the Senate passed at the end of June.

After consultation between the Senate and the House of Representatives, the House of Representatives found no objections to Lott's clause, and went on to pass the act. This jointly prepared version still has to go to the Senate for approval, but since it was agreed on by both Houses, the vote is a formality. It is expected that the act will be passed by the end of this week.

Although the Clinton administration has already begun implementing the bill, the House of Representatives blocked the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, which would have helped Taiwan's military purchases greatly. However, Lott's clause has the same effect as the Act, despite its different wording, and has made important progress towards being passed in both Houses.