Taiwan Allies Fund Act

Download PDF
Bill ID: 119/s/1216
Last Updated: March 9, 2026

Sponsored by

Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

ID: V000128

Follow the money

The bill

Taiwan Allies Fund Act

S. 1216, 119th Congress — read as touching Telecommunications.

The sponsor

Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$71,400 raised

22 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

85% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Agency for International Development" section, p. 288-290 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 321.

February 9, 2026

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

✅

Passed Senate

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another exercise in legislative theater, courtesy of our esteemed Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Taiwan Allies Fund Act (S 1216) claims to support Taiwan's international space and counter the People's Republic of China's (PRC) diplomatic isolation efforts. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to further entangle the United States in the Taiwan Strait's complex web of politics and interests.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill authorizes $40 million annually for three years to support Taiwan's international presence, with funds allocated from the Countering PRC Influence Fund. Eligible countries must maintain official relations with Taiwan or have strengthened unofficial ties, while also being vulnerable to PRC coercion.

The bill's provisions are a laundry list of vague promises and bureaucratic jargon, including:

* Supporting health initiatives (read: undermining China's Health Silk Road) * Building civil society capacity (read: promoting anti-China propaganda) * Diversifying supply chains (read: reducing dependence on Chinese goods) * Providing alternatives to PRC development assistance (read: buying influence in developing countries)

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved:

* Taiwan, which will receive a token amount of support while being further embroiled in the US-China rivalry * The PRC, which will likely respond with increased diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan's allies * Developing countries, which will be courted by both the US and China for their loyalty and resources * American taxpayers, who will foot the bill for this exercise in geopolitical posturing

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a Band-Aid solution to a complex problem. By throwing money at Taiwan's international presence without addressing the underlying issues, Congress is merely delaying the inevitable.

The real impact will be felt by:

* Taiwanese citizens, who will face increased tensions and potential military escalation * Developing countries, which will be forced to choose between US and Chinese influence * American businesses, which may face retaliatory measures from China

In conclusion, this bill is a prime example of legislative malpractice. It's a symptom of a deeper disease: the US government's addiction to interventionism and its inability to address the root causes of global conflicts.

Diagnosis: Terminal case of bureaucratic hubris, with symptoms including:

* Inflated sense of self-importance * Delusions of grandeur * Ignorance of historical context * Disregard for unintended consequences

Treatment: None. The patient is beyond salvation.

Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$71,400
15 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$2,000
Committees
$0
Individuals
$69,400

No PAC contributions found

1
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
2 transactions
$2,000

No committee contributions found

1
HUSAIN, NOMAAN K.
2 transactions
$6,600
2
JAVED, MOHAMMAD SHAHID
2 transactions
$6,600
3
JAVED, MUHAMMAD TAHIR
2 transactions
$6,600
4
KHAWAJA, OMAR
2 transactions
$6,600
5
CHEN, YU
2 transactions
$6,600
6
ZHAO, PENG
2 transactions
$6,600
7
BROE, PATRICK
1 transaction
$5,000
8
BROE, PAULA
1 transaction
$5,000
9
FUSTOK, OMAR
1 transaction
$3,300
10
SHARIF, ROOZBEH
1 transaction
$3,300
11
ADAYA, SALIM
1 transaction
$3,300
12
DEBBANE, RAY
1 transaction
$3,300
13
FARES, NIJAD
1 transaction
$3,300
14
GORDON, PATRICIA
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT]

ID: C001114

Top Contributors

10

1
KELLER INVESTMENTS PROPERTIES
OrganizationCENTERVILLE, UT
$29,800
Dec 31, 2023
2
SUQUAMISH INDIAN TRIBE
OrganizationSUQUAMISH, WA
$1,000
Aug 14, 2024
3
TENNIS & SUN LC
OrganizationSALT LAKE CITY, UT
$1,000
Jun 10, 2024
4
BGR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, LLC
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$1,000
Mar 25, 2024
5
FUGAL COMMERCIAL SERVICES INC
OrganizationSALT LAKE CITY, UT
$1,000
Sep 13, 2023
6
STEEL, SHAWN
STEEL & EISNER, LLP • ATTORNEY
IndividualSURFSIDE, CA
$10,000
Mar 25, 2024
7
STEEL, SHAWN
STEEL & EISNER, LLP • ATTORNEY
IndividualSURFSIDE, CA
$10,000
Mar 25, 2024
8
BAKER, PAUL
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualTUCSON, AZ
$6,600
Jun 5, 2024
9
BAKER, PAUL
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualTUCSON, AZ
$6,600
Jun 5, 2024
10
BERKLEY, WILLIAM
WRBC • CHAIRMAN
IndividualKEY LARGO, FL
$6,600
Jun 7, 2024

Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]

ID: K000394

Top Contributors

10

1
THE CHICKASAW NATION
OrganizationADA, OK
$6,600
Sep 11, 2024
2
THE CHICKASAW NATION
OrganizationADA, OK
$3,300
Sep 30, 2024
3
JSTREETPAC
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$1,000
Feb 15, 2024
4
JSTREETPAC
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$1,000
Feb 15, 2024
5
JSTREETPAC
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Jan 11, 2024
6
COUNCIL FOR A LIVABLE WORLD
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Oct 11, 2023
7
GIVE CHANCES
OrganizationNORTHVALE, NJ
$300
Jul 10, 2023
8
GIVE CHANCES
OrganizationNORTHVALE, NJ
$300
Apr 26, 2023
9
JSTREETPAC
CONDUIT TOTAL LISTED IN AGG. FIELD
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$250
Feb 15, 2024
10
KIM, ANTHONY
CENTERVIEW PARTNERS • FINANCE
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Sep 30, 2023

Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]

ID: B001267

Top Contributors

10

1
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$1,000
Oct 18, 2024
2
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$1,000
Jun 21, 2024
3
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Jun 30, 2024
4
QUILLER GALLERY LLC
OrganizationCREEDE, CO
$250
Nov 20, 2023
5
BARRON, THOMAS A
SELF EMPLOYED • AUTHOR
IndividualBOULDER, CO
$5,000
Sep 18, 2023
6
WALLINGER, DANIELLE
STUDIO D DESIGN • CEO
IndividualENGLEWOOD, CO
$5,000
Oct 15, 2024
7
WALLINGER, DIRK
YORK SPACE SYSTEMS • CEO
IndividualENGLEWOOD, CO
$5,000
Oct 15, 2024
8
LEPRINO, TERRY LYNN
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualDENVER, CO
$3,300
Dec 3, 2024
9
SIE, JOHN J.
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualENGLEWOOD, CO
$3,300
Dec 3, 2024
10
HEGYI, ALBERT
1ST FINANCIAL • BANKER
IndividualSOUTHPORT, CT
$3,300
Oct 26, 2023

Donor Network - Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 48 nodes and 31 connections (54 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $117,100

Top Donors - Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

Showing top 15 donors by contribution amount

1 Org14 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 5 helped.

  • +Telecommunicationsconfidence 0.90

    Section 4(c)(6) authorizes funding to provide United States or allied alternatives to People's Republic of China information and communications technology infrastructure and components, in coordination with the private sector, which benefits telecommunications industry.

  • +Big Tech Platformsconfidence 0.85

    Section 4(c)(6) supports providing US or allied alternatives to PRC ICT infrastructure and components, which could benefit big tech platforms involved in ICT.

  • Section 4(c)(1) supports alternatives to PRC energy initiatives, and Section 4(c)(3) supports diversifying supply chains away from PRC, which could benefit energy infrastructure.

  • Section 4(c)(1) supports initiatives that provide alternatives to PRC digital initiatives, which could include AI and cloud infrastructure.

  • +Renewable Energyconfidence 0.80

    Section 4(c)(1) supports alternatives to PRC energy initiatives, which could include renewable energy.

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Agency for International Development

Strong
Vector: 60%
Pages: 288-290AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill strongly aligns with Project 2025's focus on countering China's development influence through USAID-led initiatives, particularly by funding alternatives to PRC financing, strengthening civil society resilience, and advancing Taiwan's international engagement—all core components of the proposed counter-China strategy."

Key themes:countering China's influenceUSAID foreign assistanceTaiwan relationsalternatives to BRIcivil society resilience

— 255 — Agency for International Development The USAID Administrator should be authorized to take on the additional role of Director of Foreign Assistance (DFA) with the rank of Deputy Secretary at the Department of State in charge of all U.S. foreign assistance. The DFA role would empower this person to align and coordinate the countless foreign assistance programs across the U.S. government and carry out the agenda of the next con- servative President more effectively. A version of this role existed during the last two years of the George W. Bush Administration, but the Obama Administration eliminated it in 2009. Countering China’s Development Challenge. Through its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has directed billions of dollars in loans and investments to advance its geostrategic objective of displacing the United States as the premier global power. The PRC leverages its transactions—termed “debt traps” by many critics—to strengthen its global influence, extract natural resources, isolate Taiwan, win political support at international fora, and access ports and bases for its military. In Latin America, 25 of 29 countries participate in the BRI, and the PRC ranks as the region’s largest trading partner. Since 2005, Chinese state-owned banks have issued $138 billion in loans to Latin American countries, and other Chinese entities have invested an additional $140 billion. In Africa, China has issued $160 billion in loans and dominates the continent’s rare earth mining sector, which is critical to global energy development. The World Bank estimates that 60 percent of all BRI loans are in financial distress, leading many countries to seek emergency financial help from Western donors. Chinese-funded projects are known for employing substandard labor and environmental practices, fueling corruption, promoting wasteful financial deci- sions by governments, advancing China’s geostrategic interests, and creating an unequal trade relationship in which China secures raw materials from developing countries and sells those countries manufacturing products. For example, Brazil, a world leader in shoe production, saw its industry collapse under a flood of cheap Chinese imports. China’s mercantilist penetration of the developing world and the negative consequences for developing countries’ healthy economic growth have undercut U.S. strategic relationships in those countries and wasted billions in U.S. foreign aid. During the Trump Administration, USAID: l Inaugurated a robust counter-China response called Clear Choice3 that contrasted America’s development approach based on liberty, sovereignty, and free markets with China’s mercantilist authoritarianism that pursued predatory financing schemes and economic and political subordination to Beijing. — 256 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l Launched its first Digital Strategy4 to promote safe 5G access in emerging markets and combat Beijing’s efforts to equip regimes with tools to stifle democracy. l Struck bilateral development relationships with Japan, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan to support projects in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. l Established an office in Greenland to help counter China’s claims of being “a near Arctic state” and reoriented its programming across Asia—including establishing a USAID Mission to Central Asia—in line with America’s Indo- Pacific strategy.5 l Joined with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help coastal countries detect and halt illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and confront criminal activities practiced by state-run Chinese fishing fleets that violate international norms, ravage fishing industries in developing countries, worsen food insecurity, rob vulnerable communities of their livelihoods, and deplete maritime resources. USAID built an organizational infrastructure to carry out its multiple lines of counter-China operations. An agencywide Clear Choice Executive Council and USAID–U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Working Group reviewed all proposed assistance programs and proposals through a counter-China lens. A senior executive–level Clear Choice Coordinator, reporting to the Adminis- trator, advised the agency’s leadership on initiatives to counter China, supported by a fully dedicated six-person Secretariat. The Biden Administration discontinued these programs and allowed USAID’s counter-China architecture to waste away, subordinating our national security interests to progressive climate politics in which Communist China is viewed as a global partner. The next conservative Administration should restore and build on the Trump Administration’s counter-China infrastructure at USAID, end the climate policy fanaticism that advantages Beijing, and assess bilateral aid through the lens of U.S. national security interests, rewarding those countries that resist China’s debt diplomacy. It should finance programs designed to counter specific Chinese efforts in strategically important countries and eliminate funding to any partner that engages with Chinese entities directly or indirectly. USAID’s Bangkok-based Regional Development Mission for Asia should focus its strategic attention on supporting cross-border initiatives designed to counter Chinese influence.

Agency for International Development

Strong
Vector: 59%
Pages: 288-290AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill aligns closely with Project 2025's focus on countering China's Belt and Road Initiative by providing alternatives to PRC development assistance, strengthening civil society resilience, and diversifying supply chains—all core elements of the USAID-led counter-China strategy outlined in the policy."

Key themes:countering China's influencealternatives to BRIcivil society resiliencesupply chain diversificationUSAID coordination

— 255 — Agency for International Development The USAID Administrator should be authorized to take on the additional role of Director of Foreign Assistance (DFA) with the rank of Deputy Secretary at the Department of State in charge of all U.S. foreign assistance. The DFA role would empower this person to align and coordinate the countless foreign assistance programs across the U.S. government and carry out the agenda of the next con- servative President more effectively. A version of this role existed during the last two years of the George W. Bush Administration, but the Obama Administration eliminated it in 2009. Countering China’s Development Challenge. Through its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has directed billions of dollars in loans and investments to advance its geostrategic objective of displacing the United States as the premier global power. The PRC leverages its transactions—termed “debt traps” by many critics—to strengthen its global influence, extract natural resources, isolate Taiwan, win political support at international fora, and access ports and bases for its military. In Latin America, 25 of 29 countries participate in the BRI, and the PRC ranks as the region’s largest trading partner. Since 2005, Chinese state-owned banks have issued $138 billion in loans to Latin American countries, and other Chinese entities have invested an additional $140 billion. In Africa, China has issued $160 billion in loans and dominates the continent’s rare earth mining sector, which is critical to global energy development. The World Bank estimates that 60 percent of all BRI loans are in financial distress, leading many countries to seek emergency financial help from Western donors. Chinese-funded projects are known for employing substandard labor and environmental practices, fueling corruption, promoting wasteful financial deci- sions by governments, advancing China’s geostrategic interests, and creating an unequal trade relationship in which China secures raw materials from developing countries and sells those countries manufacturing products. For example, Brazil, a world leader in shoe production, saw its industry collapse under a flood of cheap Chinese imports. China’s mercantilist penetration of the developing world and the negative consequences for developing countries’ healthy economic growth have undercut U.S. strategic relationships in those countries and wasted billions in U.S. foreign aid. During the Trump Administration, USAID: l Inaugurated a robust counter-China response called Clear Choice3 that contrasted America’s development approach based on liberty, sovereignty, and free markets with China’s mercantilist authoritarianism that pursued predatory financing schemes and economic and political subordination to Beijing.

Department of State

Strong
Vector: 58%
Pages: 211-213AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill directly counters PRC diplomatic isolation of Taiwan and provides alternatives to PRC influence, aligning with Project 2025's call for a cost-imposing strategic response to China and strengthening partnerships to counter Beijing's aggression."

Key themes:countering PRC influencesupporting Taiwanstrengthening alliancescost-imposing strategyalternatives to PRC assistance

— 179 — Department of State priority. That said, the next President must significantly reorient the U.S. govern- ment’s posture toward friends and adversaries alike—which will include much more honest assessments about who are friends and who are not. This reorien- tation could represent the most significant shift in core foreign policy principles and corresponding action since the end of the Cold War. Although not every country or issue area can be discussed in this chapter, below are examples of several areas in which a shift in U. S. foreign policy is not only import- ant, but arguably existential. The point is not to assert that everyone in the evolving conservative movement, or, in some cases, the growing bipartisan consensus, will agree with the details of this assessment. Rather, what is presented below demon- strates the urgency of these issues and provides a general roadmap for analysis. In a world on fire, a handful of nations require heightened attention. Some rep- resent existential threats to the safety and security of the American people; others threaten to hurt the U.S. economy; and others are wild cards, whose full threat scope is unknown but nevertheless unsettling. The five countries on which the next Administration should focus its attention and energy are China, Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and North Korea. The People’s Republic of China The designs of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Com- munist Party, which runs the PRC, are serious and dangerous.9 This tyrannical country with a population of more than 1 billion people has the vision, resources, and patience to achieve its objectives. Protecting the United States from the PRC’s designs requires an unambiguous offensive-defensive mix, including protecting American citizens and their interests, as well as U.S. allies, from PRC attacks and abuse that undermine U.S. competitiveness, security, and prosperity. The United States must have a cost-imposing strategic response to make Bei- jing’s aggression unaffordable, even as the American economy and U.S. power grow. This stance will require real, sustained, near-unprecedented U.S. growth; stronger partnerships; synchronized economic and security policies; and American energy independence—but above all, it will require a very honest perspective about the nature and designs of the PRC as more of a threat than a competitor.10 The next President should use the State Department and its array of resources to reassess and lead this effort, just as it did during the Cold War. The U.S. government needs an Article X for China,11 and it should be a presidential mandate. Along with the National Security Council, the State Department should draft an Article X, which should be a deeply philosophical look at the China challenge. Many foreign policy professionals and national leaders, both in government and the private sector, are reluctant to take decisive action regarding China. Many are vested in an unshakable faith in the international system and global norms. They are so enamored with them they cannot brook any criticisms or reforms, let alone — 180 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise acknowledge their potential for being abused by the PRC. Others refuse to acknowl- edge Beijing’s malign activities and often pass off criticism as conspiracy theories. For instance, many were quick to dismiss even the possibility that COVID-19 escaped from a Chinese research laboratory. The reality, however, is that the PRC’s actions often do sound like conspiracy theories—because they are conspiracies. In addition, some knowingly or not parrot the Communist line: Global leaders includ- ing President Joe Biden, have tried to normalize or even laud Chinese behavior. In some cases, these voices, like the global corporate giants BlackRock and Disney, directly benefit from doing business with Beijing. On the other hand, others acknowledge the dangers posed by the PRC, but believe in a moderating approach to accommodate its rise, a policy of “compete where we must, but cooperate where we can,” including on issues like climate change. This strategy has demonstrably failed. As with all global struggles with Communist and other tyrannical regimes, the issue should never be with the Chinese people but with the Communist dictator- ship that oppresses them and threatens the well-being of nations across the globe.12 That said, the nature of Chinese power today is the product of history, ideology, and the institutions that have governed China during the course of five millennia, inherited by the present Chinese leaders from the preceding generations of the CCP.13 In short, the PRC challenge is rooted in China’s strategic culture and not just the Marxism–Leninism of the CCP, meaning that internal culture and civil society will never deliver a more normative nation. The PRC’s aggressive behavior can only be curbed through external pressure. The Islamic Republic of Iran The ongoing protests in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran), which are widely viewed as a new revolution, have shown that the Islamic regime, which has been in power since 1979 when Ayatollah Khomeini became the leader, is at its weakest state in its history and is at odds not only with its own people but also its regional neighbors. Iran is home to a proud and ancient culture, yet its people have strug- gled to achieve democracy and have had to endure a hostile theocratic regime that vehemently opposes freedom. The time may be right to press harder on the Iranian theocracy, support the Iranian people, and take other steps to draw Iran into the community of free and modern nations. Unfortunately, the Obama and Biden Administrations have propped up the brutal Islamist theocracy that has hurt the Iranian people and threatened nuclear war. For example, the Obama Administration’s 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, gave the Islamic regime a crucial monetary lifeline after the Green Movement protests in 2009, which, while ultimately unsuccessful, did succeed in weakening the regime and showing the world that younger Iranians want freedom.

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

Full Policy Text

Related Bills