Washington, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) and Chairman Mike Rogers were joined by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI), and Rep. James Moylan (R-GU) in a joint statement following a CODEL to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. The CODEL met with senior officials at every location to discuss security issues in the Indo-Pacific region. The CODEL was focused on what must be done to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific and deter aggression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“The national security threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party is the most pressing challenge facing our nation, as well as our allies and partners. On this CODEL, we heard from military and civilian leaders for the U.S., the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan on what is being done to deter aggression by the CCP and boost defenses for the U.S., allies, and partners in the face of that challenge.

“In Hawaii, we heard from INDOPACOM Commander Admiral John Aquilino and discussed what needs to be done in Guam and throughout the Indo-Pacific to boost U.S. capabilities to deter the CCP. We also saw firsthand, how the U.S. military is working closely with their counterparts in the Philippines and Japan to address a range of security challenges in the region. Throughout our conversations with allies and partners in the region it was clear that U.S. support is vital.

“The critical nature of U.S. support is also apparent in Taiwan. We relayed to President Tsai that U.S. support for Taiwan is unwavering and we will do all we can to ensure Taiwan gets the assistance it needs.

“This CODEL reaffirmed the crucial role the National Defense Authorization Act plays in deterring the CCP’s aggression. We are proud of the bipartisan work happening in Congress to support our national defense.”

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