New Bill Codifies US 'Six Assurances' to Taiwan, Requires Congress to Sign Off on Any Policy Change

This new piece of legislation, the Six Assurances to Taiwan Act, doesn't introduce a radical shift in U.S. foreign policy, but it’s a big deal for locking down existing policy. Essentially, it takes a set of long-standing, often verbal, commitments the U.S. made to Taiwan back in 1982—known as the Six Assurances—and writes them directly into law. The core message is clear: the U.S. is formally committing not to set a date for ending arms sales, not to consult with China on those sales, not to mediate between Taiwan and China, and not to pressure Taiwan into negotiations. This bill explicitly states that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is a key U.S. interest and that any unilateral change to the status quo is unacceptable (SEC. 3, SEC. 4).

The Guardrails on the Executive Branch

Where this bill really gets interesting is in Section 5, which sets up a mandatory congressional review process. Think of it as adding high-security guardrails around U.S. policy toward Taiwan. Before the President can take specific actions that would alter these assurances—like pausing defensive arms sales to Taiwan, mediating sovereignty talks, or changing the U.S. position on Taiwan’s sovereignty—the Executive Branch has to hit the brakes and notify Congress (SEC. 5).

This notification triggers a review period of 30 calendar days (or 60 days during the summer recess period). During this time, the proposed action is frozen. No action, no spending, nothing, unless Congress passes a joint resolution specifically approving the move. If Congress passes a joint resolution disapproving the action, and even if the President vetoes that disapproval, the action remains blocked for a significant period. If the disapproval resolution becomes law, the proposed policy change is permanently blocked. This structure significantly strengthens Congress’s hand in a critical foreign policy area, reducing the Executive Branch's ability to make sudden, unilateral shifts in policy that could destabilize the region.

What This Means for Stability and Oversight

For anyone invested in global stability—from supply chain managers who rely on the Indo-Pacific trade routes to military families concerned about flashpoints—this bill aims to increase predictability. By codifying these assurances, the U.S. sends a strong signal that its commitment to Taiwan is bipartisan and institutionalized, not just dependent on the current administration. This move is designed to stabilize policy and deter aggression by making U.S. intentions crystal clear. For busy professionals, this bill is about making sure that a key global security policy can’t be changed overnight with a simple executive order; it requires a public, legislative debate.

However, the bill does give the President some initial wiggle room. The notification requirement kicks in if the action is intended to “significantly alter U.S. foreign policy toward Taiwan or China.” The definition of “significantly alter” is left to the President to determine in the first instance, which could become a point of contention if the Executive Branch tries to frame a substantial change as a minor adjustment to avoid the lengthy review process. Nevertheless, the procedural mechanisms laid out in the bill—including expedited voting procedures for approval or disapproval resolutions—ensure that if the President does try to make a major change, Congress has a fast track to weigh in and potentially block it.