Rogers, Smith lead bipartisan trip to Indo-Pacific

A bipartisan group of House Armed Services Committee members recently traveled to the Indo-Pacific to discuss the region's security issues with key U.S. allies, including Taiwan.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) were joined by Reps. Joe Courtney (D-CT), John Garamendi (D-CA), Gary Palmer (R-AL), David Rouzer (R-NC), Cory Mills (R-FL), Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and James Moylan (R-GU) in a joint statement following a congressional delegation trip to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan.

“The national security threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party is the most pressing challenge facing our nation, as well as our allies and partners,” they said. “On this CODEL, we heard from military and civilian leaders for the U.S., the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan on what is being done to deter aggression by the CCP and boost defenses for the U.S., allies and partners in the face of that challenge.”

The trip follows a strong bipartisan 58-1 vote in which the committee approved its version of the annual defense authorization bill.

In Hawaii, the lawmakers met with Adm. John Aquilino, chief of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and “discussed what needs to be done in Guam and throughout the Indo-Pacific to boost U.S. capabilities to deter the CCP,” the CODEL said.

The group also “saw firsthand” how the U.S. military is working with counterparts in the Philippines and Japan on “a range of security challenges” in the Indo-Pacific.

“Throughout our conversations with allies and partners in the region it was clear that U.S. support is vital,” they said.

While in Taiwan, the lawmakers said they reassured President Tsai Ying-Wen that U.S. support “is unwavering and we will do all we can to ensure Taiwan gets the assistance it needs.”

“This CODEL reaffirmed the crucial role the National Defense Authorization Act plays in deterring the CCP’s aggression,” the CODEL said. “We are proud of the bipartisan work happening in Congress to support our national defense.”