‘Failure to defend Taiwan would forever damage our position in the Indo-Pacific,’ the Mississippi Republican will tell the Senate.
Senator Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) is expected to make a full-throated case on the Senate floor today for accelerating U.S. security assistance to Taiwan, according to excerpts of the speech obtained in advance by National Review.
“I am calling on the Biden administration to work with us to accelerate the transfer, financing, and sale of a key set of military capabilities to Taiwan,” Wicker is expected to say. “The president needs to use the authority that Congress provided to transfer $1 billion in weapons to accelerate the expansion of our training programs with Taiwan.”
U.S. delivery of certain weapons systems to Taiwan has faced massive delays, stretching back to some orders placed in 2015. According to the Wall Street Journal, the backlog amounts to around $19 billion in weapons sales, including of Javelin missiles, Stinger missiles, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Last year’s National Defense Authorization Act included $10 billion in potential aid for Taiwan over the next five years.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed last year, Wicker additionally talked about sending Taiwan Switchblade drones, more Patriot missile batteries, more F-16 jets, and other systems.
He is expected to press the State Department for answers on the transfer of these systems to Taiwan and will argue that the Taiwanese need these weapons urgently, pointing to the consequences of failing to adequately boost Taiwan’s defenses.
“Failure to defend Taiwan would forever damage our position in the Indo-Pacific, calling into question our credibility and capability to defend other allies and partners, such as Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand,” he will say.
“America has also benefitted greatly from this peace and prosperity. . . . Simply put, peace in the Pacific means jobs for Americans.”
Congressional debate about deterring Beijing from an invasion of Taiwan could soon turn toward preparing the U.S. government for a conflict. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission recommended that Congress authorize the executive branch to set up various offices and panels to examine U.S. defense preparations and supply chains, as well as develop plans to respond to a future Chinese blockade or invasion of Taiwan.