East Asia and Pacific

The Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific is a specialized panel within the House Committee on Foreign Affairs that focuses on U.S. foreign policy and diplomatic relations in one of the world's most strategically important regions. As a subcommittee, it conducts initial hearings and reviews legislation within its narrow jurisdiction before any bills can be reported to the full committee for consideration by the entire House. The subcommittee's regional oversight aligns with the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and covers countries and organizations like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The subcommittee has functional jurisdiction over economic development programs, including bureaus under the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment, as well as the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. This gives it authority over both diplomatic and economic tools used to advance U.S. interests in the region. Recent hearings have addressed critical issues including supply chain vulnerabilities, U.S.-ASEAN relations, development finance, and regional security challenges. Chair Young Kim (R-CA) and Ranking Member Ami Bera (D-CA) lead the 14-member panel, which brings together representatives from both parties to examine policy questions affecting American interests in East Asia and the Pacific.