U.S. Senators Rebuke Taiwan’s Opposition for Blocking Special Defense Budget
On January 27, Taiwan’s opposition parties—the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP)—for the tenth time blocked the Executive Yuan’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (nearly US$40 billion) special defense budget framework from entering committee review. By denying the Cabinet’s bill a procedural path forward for more than two months, the opposition has prevented substantive legislative scrutiny while advancing only the TPP’s much narrower alternative capped at NT$400 billion (about US$12.7 billion).
The opposition-backed proposal significantly narrows Taiwan’s ability to address key asymmetric and resilience gaps by excluding the planned procurement of 200,000 drones, the T-Dome multilayered air defense system (to counter Chinese missile threats), tactical mission network software, AH-1W helicopter parts, Harpoon missile support, and funding for local defense-industrial partnerships.
Meanwhile, KMT Deputy Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen was in Beijing attending a KMT–CCP forum on February 4, including a meeting with Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), echoing Beijing’s narrative of cross-strait unity under a shared “Chinese nation.”
Why It Matters
- Polling Discrepancy: Polling suggests the legislative deadlock diverges from opposition claims of representing mainstream public opinion. A January 2026 survey found that over 70% of respondents view Taiwan’s defense as insufficient, while more than 60% oppose repeated legislative obstruction of the special defense budget.
- Strategic Follow-through: AIT Director Raymond Greene, in an interview with Taiwanese media, said that Taiwan’s self-defense strategy is “workable” and “moving in the right direction,” but emphasized that it now requires sufficient resources and follow-through to translate strategy into real capabilities.
Congressional Attention
Senior Leadership Rebuke: The impasse has drawn unusual public criticism from senior Senate committee leadership across Armed Services and Foreign Relations.
- Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) expressed disappointment with Taiwan’s opposition parties, while Subcommittee Chair Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) warned that the KMT’s “short-changing Taiwan’s defense to kowtow to the CCP is playing with fire.”
- Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch (R-ID) and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued a joint statement urging Taiwan’s party leaders to “expeditiously approve vital investments in Taiwan’s security and continued partnership with the United States.”
Legislative Accelerants: To strengthen Taiwan’s credible deterrence, Congress has moved to streamline defense transfers. The Senate unanimously passed the PORCUPINE Act (S.1744) in late 2025, and the House introduced a companion bill (H.R.7146) in January 2026 amid growing concerns over delivery delays.
Implications
Michael Hunzeker, an associate professor at George Mason University, noted that both the U.S. executive branch and Congress are “clearly unhappy” with the current stalemate. He warned that continued delays could put Taiwan’s “priority partner” status at risk, as Washington increasingly expects clear funding commitments to support and sustain arms deliveries.
While Taiwan’s domestic political frictions and cross-strait dynamics have complicated U.S. support for its self-defense, recent polling and official statements indicate that support for strengthening Taiwan’s defense remains broadly shared across the electorate and within the government.
Sources:
[1] Taipei Times [2] Focus Taiwan [3] Taipei Times [4] Focus Taiwan [5] Business Today [6] CommonWealth Magazine [7] Sen. Roger Wicker’s official X account [8] Sen. Dan Sullivan’s official X account [9] Senate Foreign Relations Committee [10] S.1744 & H.R.7146 (PORCUPINE Act) [11] Taipei Times
House Committee Advances Legislation to Deepen U.S.–Taiwan Space Cooperation
In a bipartisan show of support, Reps. Gabe Amo (D-RI) and French Hill (R-AR) secured committee approval to incorporate the Taiwan and American Space Assistance (TASA) Act (H.R.5626) as an amendment to the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 (H.R.7273) during a House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology markup on February 4.
The committee unanimously ordered H.R.7273 to be reported, as amended, by a 37-0 vote. This action paves the way for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to work directly with the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) on satellites, exploration, and atmospheric research—strengthening the bilateral tech partnership and the U.S. commitment to a critical Indo-Pacific ally.
Why It Matters
Long known for its leadership in semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Taiwan has also made significant strides in its sovereign space program. In November 2025, Taiwan successfully launched Formosat-8A (FS-8A), the first in a new constellation of high-resolution optical remote-sensing satellites, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. With 84 percent of its critical components developed domestically, the launch strengthens Taiwan’s ability to monitor People’s Liberation Army (PLA) activity and supports broader U.S. deterrence efforts across the Taiwan Strait.
Commenting on the advancement of the TASA Act, Rep. Gabe Amo emphasized that international scientific partnerships have long strengthened American leadership in space. Similarly, Rep. French Hill noted that sustained U.S. support will encourage Taiwan to continue investing in its growing space capabilities.
Congressional Attention
Space is emerging as a critical arena of U.S.–China strategic competition. In December 2025, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) released its bipartisan Ten More for Taiwan report, warning of the PRC’s growing anti-satellite capabilities and the importance of space assets in a Taiwan contingency.
The report emphasizes space resilience—especially the capacity to rapidly launch and replenish space capabilities and the need for a distributed, resilient space-launch ecosystem—as essential to sustaining U.S. military advantage and preserving space-enabled targeting, navigation, and communications.
Implications
Committee Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX) described the broader NASA Reauthorization Act markup as a major step toward securing U.S. leadership in space for generations to come. Now that the amended legislation has been reported out of committee, it awaits a vote on the House floor and must subsequently pass the Senate before being sent to the President for signature.
Sources:
[1] H.R.5626 (Taiwan and American Space Assistance Act) [2] H.R.7273 (NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026) [3] House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology [4] Focus Taiwan [5] Taiwan Insight [6] Focus Taiwan [7] TW Reporter [8] Office of Rep. Gabe Amo [9] House Select Committee on the CCP [10] House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
