Six Assurances to Taiwan Act

Key Points

• This bill turns six long-standing U.S. promises to Taiwan into binding law. These include commitments not to set a date to end arms sales, not to consult with China on those sales, not to mediate between Taiwan and China, not to revise the Taiwan Relations Act, not to change the U.S. position on sovereignty over Taiwan, and not to pressure Taiwan into negotiations with China.
• Before any president can take actions that violate the Six Assurances, such as pausing arms sales to Taiwan or pressuring Taiwan to negotiate with China, they must formally notify Congress and wait for a review period of at least 30 days (or 60 days during the summer).
• During the review period, no government money can be spent on the proposed action unless Congress passes a special resolution approving it. Congress can also pass a resolution of disapproval to permanently block the action, even if the president vetoes it and Congress overrides that veto.
• The bill has bipartisan support, introduced by Rep. Krishnamoorthi with cosponsors from both parties. It builds on years of prior legislation, including the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 and multiple National Defense Authorization Acts that recognized the Six Assurances.
• The bill includes detailed fast-track procedures for Congress to vote on approval or disapproval resolutions, bypassing normal committee delays. Committees that don't act within 10 days are automatically discharged, and Senate filibuster rules are waived for these votes.