A new bipartisan task force in the House of Representatives will focus on modernizing and expediting the country’s selling of military equipment to foreign countries.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the creation of the Foreign Military Sales Technical, Industrial, and Governmental Engagement for Readiness Task Force on Tuesday.
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The committee is expected to hold regular briefings and issue recommendations to the HFAC for legislative consideration and bring together State and Defense Department officials and industry experts.
“It is vital that when we make a deal with our partners and allies to send military systems, that we provide them as quickly as possible,” McCaul said in a statement. “I am proud to announce this important, bipartisan task force to address this issue and am confident Congressman Waltz will get the answers we need. I look forward to moving forward any legislation that comes from the task force within my committee’s jurisdiction.”
The task force will be led by Reps. Mike Waltz (R-FL) and Seth Moulton (D-MA), both of whom are members of the House Armed Services Committee, along with Reps. French Hill (R-AR), Mike Garcia (R-CA), and Jason Crow (D-CO).
The task force will begin work amid a roughly $19 billion of backlogged U.S. equipment to Taiwan, a delay defense officials have linked to aid commitments to Ukraine in its war against a Russian invasion force.
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McCaul’s announcement comes two weeks after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved a memo from the Foreign Military Sales Tiger Team that included six recommendations on improving and accelerating the department’s institutional practices.
The recommendations include improving the department’s understanding of ally and partner requirements, enabling efficient reviews for the release of technology, providing allies and partner nationals relevant priority capabilities, and accelerating acquisition and contracting support, among other points. He launched that effort last summer.
