WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), Vice Chair of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), questioned witnesses today at the HASC hearing on “National Security Challenges and U.S Military Activities in the Indo-Pacific Region.”
Rep. Luria questioned witnesses on the United States’ policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan and whether strategic clarity would more effectively deter China. She also pressed witnesses on the ability of the U.S. to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.
The Congresswoman continues to focus on the rising threat that China proposes to Taiwan and our national security and interests in the Indo-Pacific-Region. In October, Rep. Luria penned an op-ed in The Washington Post calling for Congress to provide the President with the legal authority to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.
The hearing examined the Department of Defense (DOD) policies, programs, and activities in the Indo-Pacific region in advance of the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request. The hearing provided an opportunity to assess the threats to U.S. national security in the Indo-Pacific Region and evaluate the effectiveness of the DOD’s use of the resources provided by Congress to accomplish its objectives.
Witnesses included Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Dr. Ely Ratner, U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John C. Aquilino, and General Paul J. LaCamera, Commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea.
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