SASC Bill Authorizes $1.5B for Security Aid for Taiwan, the Philippines

Senators want to bolster security assistance to Taiwan and the Philippines through a reorganization of existing efforts, the formation of a war reserve stockpile and a strategy for crisis management in the South China Sea. The Senate Armed Services Committee’s markup for the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorized a significant reorganization that will loop Taiwan and the Philippines into a joint defense scheme dubbed the First Island Chain Security Cooperation Initiative. This assistance plan will replace the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative and authorizes up to $1.5 billion in assistance to be shared between Taipei and Manila for fiscal