South OC Times

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast has appointed East Asia & Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Young Kim to a newly established task force focused on foreign arms sales. The task force's goal is to ensure the arms sales process aligns with future demands.

Rep. Kim previously led the Arms Exports Delivery Act (H.R. 8259), incorporated into the FY23 NDAA, which tracks and ensures timely delivery of U.S. defense equipment to Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies. She also addressed concerns about damaged defense arms sent to Taiwan in a letter to the Biden-Harris administration.

"Promises made by the United States to our partners must be promises kept so that we strengthen our national security, promote U.S. interests, and deter aggression that could put freedom at risk," said Rep. Young Kim. "I look forward to working on the Foreign Arms Sales Task Force to deliver on our word to our allies and partners and make our arms sales process more efficient and effective."

Chairman Mast emphasized the importance of transparency in the arms sales process: "This task force will examine the process, make it more transparent, and ensure we’re getting instruments of war – which are also instruments of peace – into the hands of the right partners at the pace that war, deterrence and preparation require."

The task force aims to propose reforms addressing bureaucratic obstacles in foreign arms sales, fostering stronger partnerships between government and private sector stakeholders, enhancing the defense industrial base, and expediting arming foreign partners with American systems.

Task force members include Republican representatives Ryan Zinke (Task Force Chairman), Michael Lawler, Ryan Mackenzie, Maria Salazar, Scott Perry, Michael Baumgartner; along with Democrat representatives Brad Sherman, William Keating, Joaquin Castro, Sara Jacobs, Madeleine Dean.