The U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 9 voted 395-2 to approve a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) that would require certain federal entities to seek to exclude China from six international financial organizations if the U.S. president informs Congress that China’s actions threaten Taiwan and pose a danger to U.S. interests.
“The United States’ response to an invasion of Taiwan should be robust and include numerous sanctions and economic penalties. Exclusion from international bodies must be part of that response,” Rep. Lucas said on the House floor. “If China seeks to disrupt the global order, then China cannot continue to be a party to international organizations that seek to preserve that order.
“China’s position at multilateral economic institutions will be at risk should they engage in hostilities towards Taiwan,” added the congressman.
The Pressure Regulatory Organizations To End Chinese Threats to Taiwan Act, also known as the PROTECT Taiwan Act, H.R. 1531, which Rep. Lucas sponsored in February 2025 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), advanced to the U.S. Senate. On Feb. 11 it was referred to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee for action.
Currently, the president is required to notify Congress if China poses an immediate threat to Taiwan’s security. If this notification is triggered, H.R. 1531 states that it would be U.S. policy to exclude Chinese representatives from key international organizations.
These would include the G20, the Financial Stability Board, and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Lucas’s staff.
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee in September 2025 unanimously approved H.R. 1531, which also passed the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee in November 2025 prior to the full chamber’s passage earlier this week.
“The PROTECT Taiwan Act ensures that there will be significant financial and diplomatic consequences were China to invade Taiwan,” House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) said on the House floor. “The U.S. must send a clear message that China’s aggression toward Taiwan will not and is not tolerated, and the PROTECT Taiwan Act does just that.”