News Snapshot:
WASHINGTON—Left out of the massive spending bill that Congress raced to finish are hefty grants for weapons transfers to Taiwan, setting back efforts by some lawmakers to bolster a front-line U.S. partner against China. The overall $1.65 trillion spending package passed by the Senate on Thursday includes $2 billion in financing of military sales for Taiwan for the current fiscal year. The assistance, however, comes in the form of loan guarantees, not grants, as security hawks in Congress and some in Taiwan’s government preferred. Also omitted was money for Taiwan to draw from U.S. military stockpiles, as has been done...
