PR-2317
June 27, 2023
U.S. Congressional Delegation Visits Taiwan
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chair, House Armed Services Committee will lead a delegation that will visit Taiwan from June 27-29, 2023 as part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region. Other members of the delegation include Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), Rep. Jim Moylan (R-GU), and Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL). The delegation will meet with senior Taiwan leaders to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, and other significant issues of mutual interest.
For the delegation’s bios, please refer to the page below.
Representative Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers is a sixth generation East Alabamian. He is a conservative, a Christian, the father of three and married to his wife, Beth, for over 40 years. Mike grew up in Calhoun County, Alabama, in the small mill village of Blue Mountain. His mother worked in the local textile mill and his father was a firefighter. Mike learned the values of family, hard work and sacrifice from his parents.
Mike graduated from Saks High School and earned both his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Masters of Public Administration at Jacksonville State University (http://www.jsu.edu/). Later he graduated with honors from the Birmingham School of Law (http://www.bsol.com/). He was previously a practicing attorney and small business owner in Calhoun County.
Since he was first elected in 2002, Mike has been known for his tireless advocacy for the people and interests of Alabama’s Third Congressional District. He currently serves as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (https://republicans-armedservices.house.gov/) and previously served as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security in the 116th Congress (https://republicans-homeland.house.gov/) both vital to Alabama’s interests.
Mike’s district in East Alabama is home to the Anniston Army Depot (http://www.anad.army.mil/) and Fort Benning (http://www.benning.army.mil/) community. Mike has long advocated for these installations in his role on the Armed Services Committee. He has worked tirelessly to ensure our warfighters have the very best equipment, including the vehicles and small arms that are repaired at the Anniston Army Depot, known as the ‘Pit Crew of America’s Warfighters.’
Nationally, Rep. Rogers has built a reputation as a recognized leader on national security and a strong advocate for national defense. As Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he works to ensure that our military is properly funded, that our warfighters have the resources and weapons they need to succeed on current and future battlefields, and that the military is focused on deterring and combatting threats coming from China and our other adversaries.
During his tenure on the House Armed Services Committee, Mike saw a need to realign our resources and efforts toward countering our adversaries in space. With bipartisan support in Congress – Mike initiated and oversaw the creation of the U.S. Space Force.
In Congress, Mike works to defend Alabama’s interests and pushes for policies that will boost our national security and protect our homeland.
Representative Adam Smith
Congressman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) serves as the Democratic leader of the House Armed Services Committee, where he is a strong supporter of American military personnel and their families, the heart of our national defense. Ranking Member Smith is committed to providing the people who serve in our armed forces with the best equipment available and necessary support – including food security, housing, education, child care, and health care – to carry out current and future missions. Ranking Member Smith is equally focused on ensuring the Pentagon spends taxpayer dollars in the most efficient and effective manner by carefully examining our defense policies and programs while also working to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse.
Ranking Member Smith has long supported the need for the United States to be able to quickly adapt and evolve in its national security and national defense posture and policies, particularly as it relates to investment and innovation in technology and our defense industrial base. By doing so, the United States will be better equipped to address the pacing challenge presented by China, the acute threat posed by Russia, and the persistent threats presented by North Korea and Iran. He is an ardent advocate for the United States to continue working with partners and allies to deter aggression and defend democracy worldwide, particularly as it relates to Ukraine getting the military and humanitarian assistance it requires in their fight to defend their sovereignty against Putin’s unlawful and unprovoked invasion.
Having served on the House Armed Services Committee since 1997, Ranking Member Smith served as the Chairman of full committee from 2019 to 2023. He formerly chaired the subcommittees on Air and Land Forces and Terrorism and Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, respectively. Ranking Member Smith has also previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Understanding the need for a holistic approach to national security and national defense, Ranking Member Smith recognizes the critical importance of addressing the threat posed by climate change as well as pressing social and economic challenges like poverty reduction, access to education, sustainable global markets, diplomatic engagement, and good governance. As such, he has been a long-time advocate of strengthening American diplomacy and development by working with allies and partners to defend the rules-based, international order that the United States has helped to build while also providing for a more resilient national defense.
Congressman Adam Smith represents the Ninth District of Washington State, serving parts of King County including South Seattle, Renton, Bellevue, and Federal Way.
Representative Joe Courtney
Congressman Joe Courtney was elected in 2006 to represent the Second Congressional District of Connecticut in the House of Representatives. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee, and House Education and Labor Committee.
Congressman Courtney is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces. According to a review by House Historians Office, Courtney is the first known member from Connecticut to lead a naval oversight panel in the House of Representatives since 1873, when Stephen W. Kellogg of Waterbury served as Chair of the Committee on Expenditures in the Navy Department in the 42nd Congress (1871-1873). Prior to that, Samuel Ingham, a two-term Congressman with connections to Hebron, Jewett City (Griswold) and Essex, served as chair of the Committee on Navy Affairs in the 25th Congress (1837-1839).
In addition, he co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus along with Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia. As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, he serves on the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions subcommittee, as well as the Higher Education and Workforce Training subcommittee.
As a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, Congressman Courtney has worked to strengthen our nation’s defense by leading the call for increased submarine production. When Courtney arrived in Congress, Electric Boat was facing significant workforce reductions, and, for the first time in 50 years, was not actively designing the next generation of submarine. Because of funding secured by Courtney through his committee work, the men and women of Electric Boat have been building two submarines per year since 2011. In addition, Courtney has secured critical resources for new design and engineering work on the replacement for the OHIO-class submarine, which has added thousands of jobs in southeastern Connecticut. This design and engineering work prompted Electric Boat to expand into the former Pfizer building in New London to accommodate its growing workforce.
Additionally, Congressman Courtney secured over $100 million federal funding outside the President’s budget for SUBASE New London. This investment will ensure that New England’s largest military installation will have an enduring mission for years to come. In recognition of his work, Courtney was awarded “The Distinguished Public Service Award” from Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, the highest civilian honor the Navy confers.
Since his swearing-in, Congressman Courtney has distinguished himself as a tireless advocate for both our nation’s veterans and our men and women in uniform. He successfully fought to expand the Montgomery GI Bill for post-9/11 veterans and their families, and led the fight to extend TRICARE benefits to dependents under age 26. Congressman Courtney also fought and won support for an 18-unit supportive housing facility for homeless and at-risk veterans in Jewett City. He also partnered with Senator John McCain to introduce the Post-9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act to help members of the military transition into the teaching profession. In recognition of his efforts on behalf of veterans, Congressman Courtney has been awarded the Connecticut National Guard’s highest honor, the Meritorious Service Award. He has also earned recognition from veterans organizations, including the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, which named him Legislator of the Year in 2009.
Having served as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman Courtney is a vocal proponent for nearly 2,500 farmers across eastern Connecticut. Courtney is the founding co-chairman of the Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus, and has worked tirelessly to protect family farms from foreclosure and fix the flawed milk pricing system.
Dedicated to preserving our green space and protecting the environment, Courtney introduced and won passage of a law that designated the Eightmile River in Connecticut as a part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Thanks to his efforts, this pristine and scenic watershed will be preserved for generations to come.
Before serving in the House of Representatives, Joe Courtney represented the citizens of Vernon in the Connecticut General Assembly from 1987 to 1994. During this tenure, then state-Rep. Courtney served as House Chairman for both the Public Health and Human Services Committees.
Courtney was recognized in a legislative poll in 1994 by Connecticut Magazine for his bipartisan efforts, and named the “Most Conscientious” and the “Democrat Most Admired by Republicans.” Since he came to Congress, Courtney has received numerous awards from several national organizations including the National Patient Advocate Foundation’s 2010 Healthcare Hero award, The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers’ Legislator of the Year Award, and the American Farm Bureau’s Friend of the Farm Bureau award.
Congressman Courtney is a 1975 graduate of Tufts University in Boston. He earned a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1978. He lives in Vernon with his wife, Audrey Courtney, and their two children, Bobby and Elizabeth.
Representative John Garamendi
Congressman John Garamendi is honored to represent California’s Eighth Congressional District, which includes much of Contra Costa and Solano Counties. He has dedicated his life to serving the people of California and in his eighth term in the House of Representatives, he continues to advocate for working families, veterans, and Americans across the country.
Garamendi was raised in Mokelumne Hill, California and earned his BA from U.C. Berkeley and MBA from Harvard Business School. After graduating, he and his wife Patti served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia from 1966 to 1968. During their time in Ethiopia, they taught 7th and 8th graders and worked alongside local leaders to improve the resources available to community members. Their experience in the Peace Corps allowed them to form lifelong bonds and marked only the beginning of their lives dedicated to service.
In 1974, Garamendi was elected to the California State Legislature, where he authored the first solar, wind, and energy conservation tax credit in the nation. He also authored the Rural Health Act of California, to ensure that underserved residents in rural communities had access to quality health care.
Garamendi subsequently served four terms in the California State Senate, where he developed a state agenda to advance California’s economy and facilitate scientific research at public universities. Additionally, he introduced legislation that would become California’s assault weapons ban – the first of its kind in the nation and still in effect today. Today, Garamendi continues his work as an advocate for gun control and remains fervently committed to keeping Americans safe.
From 1991 to 1995, and again from 2003 to 2006, Garamendi served as the California Insurance Commissioner, earning a reputation as the most effective protector of consumer interests in the nation. He successfully forced insurance companies to pay claims to policyholders and significantly curtailed insurance fraud. During his time as Insurance Commissioner, he saw firsthand how far the for-profit insurance industry will go to maximize their profits at the expense of consumers and today, Garamendi remains a consistent advocate for universal healthcare and low prescription drug prices.
Appointed Deputy Secretary of the Interior in 1995 by President Clinton, Garamendi spearheaded projects to restore the environment in the San Francisco Bay, Sacramento Delta, and Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins, while also increasing California’s fresh water supply. Garamendi continues to be a leading advocate for water conservation plans that will protect our natural resources for future generations.
In 2007, Garamendi was elected Lieutenant Governor of California, where he served as Chairman of the State Land Commission and successfully protected California coastal beaches by preventing further offshore oil and gas development projects. Additionally, as Chairman of the California Commission for Economic Development, Garamendi strongly advocated for American workers and fought to increase education funding and decrease undergraduate tuition.
Garamendi was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in 2009, where he has served ever since. Now in his eighth term, he continues to work hard for Californians and advance policies that create jobs, protect Social Security and Medicare, and reduce economic disparity.
As the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, Garamendi works to ensure current and former servicemembers are treated justly. He has enacted legislation empowering the military to combat climate change, improve health care for servicemembers, and provide greater legal recourse and care for those harmed by unhealthy conditions during military service. Garamendi consistently advocates for veterans and has supported every bill in the House designed to help veterans and their families.
Since his first day in Congress, Garamendi has served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and he continues to use his position on this committee to modernize America’s infrastructure, produce millions of good-paying union jobs, and revitalize California’s water resiliency efforts. With 30 years of experience in California water issues, Garamendi is a leading advocate for a comprehensive water plan that includes water recycling, conservation, and storage to help meet California’s needs.
While addressing national and international issues in Congress, Garamendi never loses sight of the local communities he represents. His top priority is to advocate for the people of California’s Eighth Congressional District and ensure they have the funding and resources necessary to thrive. Garamendi will never stop fighting for policies that guarantee equal rights, opportunity, and justice for every member of his community.
As a lifelong Californian, Garamendi continues to call Northern California home and treasures the moments spent enjoying its natural beauty, surrounded by his wife Patti and their family of six children and 14 grandchildren.
Representative Jill Tokuda
Jill Tokuda represents Hawai`i’s Second Congressional District (CD2) which includes suburban and rural parts of O`ahu, the islands of Hawai`i, Kaua`i, Maui, Lana`i, Moloka`i, Ni`ihau, Kaho`olawe, and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Elected in November 2022 to serve in the 118th Congress, Tokuda serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Rep. Tokuda has also been selected by her peers to serve as Vice Chair for Communications for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Freshman Representative for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Region 2 Whip (includes Hawai`i, Alaska, Northern California, Guam, American Samoa, and The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).
Jill’s family has called CD2 home for four generations since emigrating from Okinawa, living on Hawai`i Island, Maui, Kaua`i and on the Windward side of O`ahu. A proud product of Hawai`i’s public schools, she was the first in her family to go to college and attended The George Washington University where she earned a BA in international relations with a minor in Japanese studies.
Jill has extensive experience in both the public and private sector. From 2006-2018, she represented Kaneohe and Kailua in the Hawai`i State Senate. During her tenure she chaired the Ways and Means, Education and Higher Education, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, and Labor committees. As Ways and Means Chair, Jill balanced the state’s $14 billion budget and approved all fiscal and tax measures at the Hawai`i State Legislature. She also championed legislation that established the state’s first Executive Office on Early Learning and funded the Hawai`i Keiki Program to provide access to health services in public schools. Jill also passed enabling legislation that allowed for Important Agricultural Lands to be designated and protected. This was an unmet constitutional mandate that took 30 years to pass, and places the highest protections on Hawai`i’s most productive food producing lands.
Her private and nonprofit experience includes serving as Co-Director of CyberHawaii, which supports workforce development, and as the External Affairs Director of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center where Jill raised funds to expand the facility on the island of Maui. She has served on the board of the Hawai`i Data Collaborative and the advisory board of the Hawai`i Budget and Policy Center. Jill was also a founding member of the Patsy T. Mink PAC, which supports pro-choice women seeking elected office. During the pandemic, Jill was appointed to the Hawai`i House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness where she worked with the state, counties and nonprofit entities to track the progress of over $21 billion in federal relief that came into Hawai`i and provide information and analysis to aid in the distribution and management of these resources.
Jill is married to Kyle Michibata. They have two sons, Aden and Matt, who attend the same public schools their parents graduated from – King Intermediate and James B. Castle High School. Their family also includes their chiweenie named Bailey, who holds the distinction of having more likes on social media than anyone else in the family!
Jill is driven by the goal of making sure Hawai`i is a place where her sons and all of our children can see a future for themselves in this place we call home.
Representative David Rouzer
David Rouzer proudly represents North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District, stretching from the beautiful coastline of Southeastern North Carolina west to the small-town, agricultural communities around Lumberton and Fayetteville. Elected to the United States Congress in 2014, David is beginning his 5th term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
David serves on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee where he currently serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. He has served as a ranking member or chairman of a subcommittee on both since his first day in office, which has enabled him to better address the unique needs of his district and state. He is a member of a number of caucuses in Congress including as a founding member of the Primary Care Caucus and the Supply Chain Caucus, as well as co-chairing the United Kingdom Caucus.
Prior to Congress, David formed his own business doing consulting and sales work, predominately in the agricultural arena. His public service includes two terms in the North Carolina Senate representing Johnston and Wayne counties (2009-2012) where he was consistently ranked as one of the most effective pro-business legislators. David also served as assistant to the dean and director of commodity relations for the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at NC State University in between two stints with U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, where he started out as a legislative assistant and later served as senior policy advisor. He was also senior advisor for U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole. In 2005, he took a senior level appointment at USDA Rural Development and helped manage a program level budget of more than $1.2 billion and a loan portfolio of more than $5 billion in investments in rural America. David has garnered a number of awards during his career for his work in each of these capacities as well as a Member of Congress.
David, a Southern Baptist, was raised in Durham and spent his summers working on the family farm just outside of Four Oaks, N.C. The money he earned those summers enabled him to pay his tuition at N.C. State University where he graduated with three degrees in Agricultural Business Management, Agricultural Economics, and Chemistry. He is also a graduate of The Fund for American Studies. David resides in Wilmington, N.C.
Representative Gary Palmer
Mr. Palmer, who grew up in Hackleburg, a small town in Northwest Alabama, now lives in Hoover and represents Alabama’s 6th Congressional District. Mr. Palmer attended the University of Alabama and was the first person on either side of his family to attend college. In addition, he was a walk-on member of the football team under legendary football coach Bear Bryant. After earning a B.S. in Operations Management, he worked in the private sector for 12 years; including nine with two major engineering construction companies, before involvement with Focus on the Family led him to start the Alabama Family Alliance which later became the Alabama Policy Institute.
Palmer served as President of the Alabama Policy Institute for 24 years. During his tenure, the Alabama Policy Institute became a full-spectrum public policy organization that engaged in virtually all policy issues that affected Alabamians. It is considered the premier conservative think-tank in Alabama.
Palmer also was a founding member of the board of directors of the State Policy Network, an umbrella organization for various state-based think-tanks. He served on the State Policy Network board for six years, the last two as chairman. Leading this broad coalition of policy thinkers gave Palmer exposure and knowledge of policy problems that confront all 50 states. When State Policy Network was founded in 1992, there were fewer than 20 state think-tanks in their network. Today, State Policy Network has 65 member organizations.
Palmer served on four different state commissions on behalf of three different Governors. He was appointed to the Welfare Reform Commission by Governor Fob James. He also served as an advisor to Governor James’ Aerospace, Science and Technology Task Force. He was appointed to the Task Force to Strengthen Alabama Families by Governor Bob Riley, and the Alabama Commission on Improving State Government by Governor Robert Bentley.
In 2014, he was elected to the 114th Congress, having never served in office before. In Congress, Palmer is focused on paying down the national debt by cutting spending; regulatory reform by reducing the number and expense of federal regulations; lowering energy costs and spurring economic growth and job creation by accessing America’s vast energy resources; and replacing Obamacare with a health care plan that puts people back in charge of their health care decisions and that will truly make health care affordable and available; and protecting life in all its forms. Palmer serves on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Subcommittees on Energy, Environment and Climate Change, and Oversight and Investigations. Palmer has also served as the Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee since the 116th Congress. The Republican Policy Committee aims to unite Congressional Republicans on policy and help advise other members of leadership on policy decisions.
Palmer has been a member of the Rotary Club of Birmingham since 1993, and he is a Paul Harris Fellow. He holds an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Mobile. He and his wife Ann live in Hoover, Alabama where they attend Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. They have three children, Claire, Kathleen and Rob.
Representative James Moylan
James Moylan proudly serves as Guam’s congressional delegate to the 118th United States Congress.
As the first Republican to win the seat on Guam in nearly 30 years, Moylan’s victory was historic. He is a strong and trustworthy leader who’s focused on issues that affect Guamanians most.
Moylan believes island residents have a right to know what’s happening in their governing offices. Therefore, he has created an open door policy allowing constituents to have their concerns addressed.
Moylan’s history of service includes his time as a senator in the 35th and 36th Guam Legislature, a Veteran of the United States army and a parole officer at the Department of Corrections.
Additionally, Moylan has more than two decades of experience working in the private sector, including healthcare, financial services, and insurance.
In his current position, Moylan serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. Both Committees address issues that are vital to Guam.
Additionally, Moylan is a native of Guam and is from the village of Tumon. He graduated from John F Kennedy High School and continued to the University of Guam where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Most of all, Moylan is a proud father to Abby and Krissy Moylan.
Representative Cory Mills
Born in Winter Haven, Florida, Cory Mills is a decorated U.S. Army combat Veteran, and recipient of the Bronze Star. Cory left Florida to serve his country first in uniform, and then to serve further our U.S. State Department and other government agencies in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Cory has spent most of his adult life serving our great nation and fighting for the American people, and for those friends of America who have suffered under tyrannical and dictatorship style rule.
He served with the 82nd Airborne Division and was a member of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) 20 in Iraq. While serving abroad, Cory was struck twice in 2006, once with an improvised explosive device (IED) and once with an Iranian explosively formed projectile (EFP), which resulted in numerous casualties. Fortunately, Cory was able to stabilize himself prior to evacuation. For his actions, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilizad presented Cory Mills with a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for his actions which saved members of his team and U.S. military service members. Cory Mills has nearly 7-years of service in Iraq, approximately 2-years in Afghanistan, served in the Kosovo Campaign in 2000, and has traveled to the front lines of Ukraine during the Russian invasion to provide information for USAID and Department of State officials. He also supported anti-terrorism assistance training for the Kurdish forces in northern Iraq to help them repel potential insurgencies.
Cory Mills was a Trump appointee to the Pentagon as a Department of Defense (DoD) advisor, and a foreign policy expert you may have seen on Newsmax, Fox News, OANN, and many other media outlets.
In the private sector, Cory co-founded Pacem Solution International LLC and Pacem Defense LLC with his wife, Rana. Through the PACEM companies, Cory and Rana have supported risk management assessments, intelligence collection, and security for media such as NPR news. In 2018, Pacem Defense acquired Amtec Less Lethal Systems, Inc., now known as ALS, Inc., in Perry, Florida, to help continue their support to the law enforcement communities and our allies abroad.
Cory is a husband, father, patriot, combat veteran, entrepreneur, foreign policy expert, and true American conservative. Cory believes in FIGHTING for the people, restoring the voice of “We The People” — America’s voice — and making America First Again.
Cory is a constitutionalist who believes that the sacred oath he took to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” does not have an expiration date.