Senior U.S. Democrat says midterm win would give party stronger voice in shaping Asia policy

U.S. Rep. Ami Bera speaks during an interview with The Japan Times in Tokyo on Saturday. | KENJI YOSHIDA

Oct 26, 2026

A senior U.S. Democratic lawmaker said a victory by his party in midterm elections next week could give Congress a stronger voice in shaping Washington’s policy toward Japan and Taiwan amid uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s approach to the region.

Rep. Ami Bera, a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, said he expected to chair the panel if his party regained the chamber and hoped to advance legislation reinforcing the U.S.-Japan alliance and support for Taiwan.

“I think you’ll see fairly quickly a Democratic Congress, in very strong terms, expressing our support for the status quo in Taiwan, the status quo in East Asia,” he told The Japan Times during a recent interview in Tokyo.

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