Rep. Frank Lucas
A bipartisan bill led by U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) that would support Taiwan against threats from China on Jan. 12 passed the U.S. House of Representatives and advanced to the U.S. Senate for action.
Rep. Lucas in February 2023 sponsored the Pressure Regulatory Organizations To End Chinese Threats to Taiwan Act, or the PROTECT Taiwan Act, H.R. 803, with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX).
“Congress must take the necessary steps to ensure Beijing would be subject to significant financial and economic consequences should it threaten our allies in Taiwan,” Rep. Lucas said on the House floor. “The PROTECT Taiwan Act will do exactly that.”
If enacted, H.R. 803 would establish certain steps if the president informs Congress about actions by China that result in threats to Taiwan’s security or social or economic system, and any danger to U.S. interests, according to the congressional record bill summary.
After the president informs Congress of such actions, then various federal agencies would have to take all necessary steps to exclude China’s representatives from the activities of specified international organizations, including the Group of 20, the Financial Stability Board, and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, says the summary, noting that the president may waive these requirements if doing so is in the national interest of the United States.
“Even in today’s partisan gridlock, one thing we can all agree on is that the Chinese Communist Party poses the greatest economic, political, and national security threat to the United States,” said Rep. Lucas. “While the world watched Russia’s rogue invasion on Ukraine in horror, it is our responsibility to ensure China does not attempt to emulate such blatant aggression on Taiwan.”
The Senate on Jan. 16 received H.R. 803 and referred it for consideration to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.