House Foreign Affairs Committee Advances Measures to Improve Foreign Arms Sales

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced the Foreign Military Financing Loan Authorization Act among several bills to improve the foreign arms sales process as part of a full committee markup. 

The measures, passed alongside a broader package of legislation advanced by the committee, will help codify President Trump’s executive orders on improving arms sales and expand America’s circle of equipped allies without requiring new foreign aid spending. 

The Foreign Military Financing Loan Authorization Act, spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, authorizes a direct financing mechanism to ensure U.S. defense exports put America first. 

“Foreign Military Financing has historically been provided to our foreign partners and allies on a non-repayable grant basis. While this is positive for our industries and military interoperability, we also need to be able to offer financing terms that are more attractive to current and future recipients,” said Chairman Brian Mast. “This legislation gives the State Department a powerful tool to compete aggressively in the global defense market and ensure that when allies buy, they buy American.”

Other measures aimed at improving the foreign military sales process passed out of committee today include:

• H.R. 8665 - Allied Defense Sales Act - To require the implementation of a strategy to encourage foreign partners to participate in the foreign military sales and direct commercial sales processes on a multinational basis, and for other purposes
• H.R. 3563 - Taiwan PLUS Act - To improve defense cooperation between the United States and Taiwan, and for other purposes

The measure builds upon key legislation spearheaded by the committee’s bipartisan Foreign Military Sales Task Force, which Chairman Mast established last year to improve the U.S. defense industrial base, eliminate red tape in the arms sales process, and improve interoperability and efficiency with our foreign partners.

Throughout its duration, the task force engaged extensively with foreign partners, defense industry stakeholders, and U.S. government officials across the interagency to gather broad perspectives on reforms needed to modernize the foreign arms sales process and meet future demands.

The task force advanced several major reforms that codified key elements of President Trump’s April 2025 executive order, including the AUKUS Reform for Military Optimization and Review (ARMOR) Act and the Made-in-America Defense Act, both of which were signed into law last year.

In addition to the FMS measures passed today are:
 

• H.R. 7037, To promote United States and allied energy and mineral security, and for other purpose; 
• H.Res. 64, Affirming the Alliance Between the United States and the Republic of Korea; 
• H.R. 8019, To authorize International Military Education and Training Assistance for Greece; 
• H.R. 8562, To designate a building of the Chancery of the United States in Pristina, Kosovo, as the "Eliot L. Engel Building"; 
• H.R. 8668, To reduce recurring reporting requirements imposed by law on the Department of State; 
• H.Res. 1179, Condemning attacks on civilians in Sudan and calling for an end to external support to the warring parties and for efforts to promote a negotiated settlement of the war; and  
• H.R. 4332, To establish a comprehensive United States Government initiative to build the capacity of young leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa, and for other purposes.