March 26, 2026
Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Ricketts) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
To require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on the manner in which delays in arms deliveries to Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines affect the ability of the Department of Defense to build and sustain a strong denial defense in the First Island Chain.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the First Island Chain Deterrence Act
.
Sec. 2. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate committees of Congress
The term appropriate committees of Congress means—
(A)
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
(2) First Island Chain
The term First Island Chain means the chain of archipelagos extending from the Kuril Islands and Japan, through the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, and the Philippines, to Borneo, which form the first line of islands off the East Asian continental mainland.
(3) Major defense equipment sales
The term major defense equipment sales means all foreign military sales that meet Defense Security Cooperation Agency thresholds for congressional notification under section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776).
(4) Strong denial defense
The term strong denial defense means the prevention of an adversary from taking aggressive action by demonstrating that success in such an action would be prohibitively difficult.
Sec. 3. Report on delays in arms deliveries to Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines
(a) In general
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the manner in which delays in United States weapons sales to Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines through the foreign military sales process affect the ability of the Department of Defense to build, posture, and sustain a strong denial defense in the First Island Chain.
(b) Elements
The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1)
A description of the benefits to United States national security of United States arms deliveries to Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and the importance of interoperability in the event of a contingency across the Taiwan Strait.
(2)
A description of—
(A)
the current status of major defense equipment sales to Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines that have been approved but have not been completed; and
(B)
relevant metrics for identifying delays in the timelines for delivery on such major defense equipment sales, including such delays attributable to—
(i)
Department of Defense review, procurement, and administration processes for the foreign military sales mechanism;
(ii)
production constraints on the United States defense industrial base with respect to materiel currently under contract with Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines; or
(iii)
Department of Defense prioritization of arms deliveries to allies and partners in the midst of conflict, such as allies in the Middle East region.
(3)
An assessment of possible impacts of such delays on the ability of the Department of Defense to build, posture, and sustain a strong denial defense in the First Island Chain, including by enabling interoperability with Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
(4)
An evaluation, as applicable, of the impact any other relevant authority for arms sales or transfers to Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines may have on the ability of the Department of Defense to build, posture, and sustain a strong denial defense in the First Island Chain.
(c) Form
The report required by subsection (a)—
(1)
to the maximum extent practicable, shall be submitted in unclassified form without any designation relating to dissemination control; and
(2)
shall contain a classified annex.
(d) Support from Department of Defense
The Secretary of Defense shall provide the Comptroller General with timely access to any appropriate information, data, and analyses requested by the Comptroller General under section 716 of title 31, United States Code, that is necessary to develop, in a timely, thorough, and independent manner, the report required by subsection (a).