Sen. Cramer, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Establish Partnership between U.S. National Guard, Taiwanese Defense Forces

Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) member, joined Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) in introducing the Taiwan Partnership Act, a bipartisan bill to establish a partnership between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwanese defense forces to ensure a well-integrated defense force capable of fast deployment during a crisis.

“It is crucial for the United States to work with allies like Taiwan to help bolster their security and military readiness, especially given the increased risk China poses to the region’s stability,” said Senator Cramer. “Collaboration between Taiwan and our National Guard would help their forces ensure Taiwan is properly prepared to defend itself.”

The Taiwan Partnership Act would establish the sense of Congress that the United States should continue to support the development of capable, ready, and modern defense forces for Taiwan to maintain its self-defense by:

Developing a partnership program between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwan;
Increasing exchanges between senior defense officials and general officers of the U.S. and Taiwan to improve interoperability, improve Taiwan’s reserve forces, and expand humanitarian and disaster relief cooperation;
Expanding Taiwan’s capability to conduct security activities, including traditional combatant commands, cooperation with the National Guard, and multilateral activities; and
Requiring an annual report by the Secretary of Defense on the cooperation between the National Guard and Taiwan.

Senator Cramer is a longtime supporter of furthering U.S.-Taiwan relations. Last month he joined a bipartisan call for U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai, to reconvene trade agreement talks with Taiwan, and he recently highlighted the importance of trade with Taiwan at a Senate Armed Services committee hearing. In 2019, the senator spoke at the Taiwan Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission, where he thanked the members of that mission for recognizing the value of going to America’s heartland and working with agricultural producers to help feed a hungry world.

Senators Cramer, Cornyn, and Duckworth are joined on the bill by Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Todd Young (R-IN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Mike Gallagher (WI-08), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Lisa McClain (MI-10), and Stephanie Murphy (FL-07).