Cornyn Response to Senate Democrats Blocking New F-16 Sales to Taiwan

Press Release

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today made the following statement after Senate Democrats blocked his amendment to the Trade Adjustment Assistance bill to mandate the Obama Administration to sell at least 66 new F-16 C/Ds to Taiwan:

"It's disheartening to see so many of my colleagues who supported this deal wither in the face of political pressure and stand with a White House that worries more about irritating our biggest Creditor than supporting our key allies."

Several recent letters to the President have demonstrated overwhelming bipartisan congressional support for the sale of new F-16C/Ds to Taiwan. On August 1, 181 bipartisan House members sent a letter to President Obama calling on him to approve the sale of F-16 C/Ds to Taiwan. On May 26 a bipartisan letter signed by 45 Senators called on President Obama him to quickly notify Congress of the sale of 66 F-16C/Ds to Taiwan. Two other Senators have also written letters to the Administration in support of this sale.

A recent study done by a private consulting firm estimates that the sale of 66 new F-16 aircraft to Taiwan would generate approximately $8.7 billion in economic output and nearly 88,000 "person-years' of employment across the U.S.

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