Implementation of the Advanced Capabilities Pillar of the Trilateral Security Partnership Between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Floor Speech
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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1093) to direct the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1093
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ADVANCED CAPABILITIES PILLAR OF THE TRILATERAL SECURITY PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AUSTRALIA, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (in this section referred to as the ``AUKUS partnership'') is intended to positively contribute to peace and stability in the Indo- Pacific region through enhanced deterrence;
(2) to this end, implementation of the AUKUS partnership will require a whole-of-government review of processes and procedures for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to benefit from such partnership and, in particular, to support joint development of advanced capabilities;
(3) the Department of State plays a pivotal role in the administration of arms exports and sales programs under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) and the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.);
(4) the Department of State should work in coordination with the Department of Defense and other relevant United States Government agencies to seek to expeditiously implement the AUKUS partnership; and
(5) the Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Defense, should clearly communicate any United States requirements to address matters related to the technology security and export control measures of Australia and the United Kingdom.
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on efforts of the Department of State to implement the advanced capabilities pillar of the AUKUS partnership.
(2) Matters to be included.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) For each of the calendar years 2021 and 2022--
(i) the average and median times for the United States Government to review applications for licenses to export defense articles or defense services to persons, corporations, and the governments (including agencies and subdivisions of such governments, including official missions of such governments) of Australia or the United Kingdom;
(ii) the average and median times for the United States Government to review applications from Australia and the United Kingdom for foreign military sales beginning from the date Australia or the United Kingdom submitted a letter of request that resulted in a letter of acceptance with; and
(iii) the number of applications from Australia and the United Kingdom for licenses to export defense articles and defense services that were denied or approved with provisos, listed by year.
(B) For each of the fiscal years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, the number of voluntary disclosures resulting in a violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) enumerated under section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2780) or involving proscribed countries listed in section 126.1 of the ITAR, by persons, corporations, and the governments (including agencies and subdivisions of such governments, including official missions of such governments) of Australia or the United Kingdom, including information with respect to--
(i) any instance of unauthorized access to technical data or defense articles;
(ii) inadequate physical or cyber security;
(iii) retransfers or re-exports without authorization; and
(iv) employees of foreign companies that are United States persons that provide defense services without authorization.
(C) The value of any civil penalties assessed from 2017 to 2022 for disclosures or violations described in subparagraph (B) on United States applicants that involved foreign persons, foreign corporations, and foreign governments in the United Kingdom or Australia.
(D) A list of relevant United States laws, regulations, and treaties and other international agreements to which the United States is a party that govern authorizations to export defense articles or defense services that are required to implement the AUKUS partnership.
(E) An assessment of key recommendations the United States Government has provided to the governments of Australia and the United Kingdom to revise laws, regulations, and policies of such countries that are required to implement the AUKUS partnership.
(F) An assessment of recommended improvements to export control laws and regulations of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States that such countries should make to implement the AUKUS partnership and to otherwise meet the requirements of section 38(j)(2) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778(j)(2)), and the challenges Australia and the United Kingdom have conveyed in meeting these requirements including with respect to sensitive defense technology security controls.
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
Mr. Speaker, as China continues its aggressive posture in the Indo- Pacific, strengthening partnerships to deter Chairman Xi are more important now than ever. I thank my good friend, Ranking Member Meeks, for standing with me in support of this bipartisan measure.
The Australia-United Kingdom-United States partnership known as AUKUS is a long-term security pact to protect peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The recent announcement on AUKUS implementation only addressed one piece of this partnership--cooperation on conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines, but there is much more to this partnership.
The second pillar of AUKUS is cooperation on advanced capabilities. The purpose is to collaborate on high-tech research and the application of systems, such as hypersonics, undersea capabilities, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and much more.
This legislation focuses on ensuring the State Department is authorizing technology transfers quickly to fully support implementation of this vital pillar.
We are facing a generational challenge from the Chinese Communist Party. We must bring all tools to bear in our effort to counter Chairman Xi's attempts to disrupt the global balance of power. With AUKUS, our three nations can achieve the shared strategic goal of defending the Indo-Pacific region while maintaining our technological and military superiority.
This bill presses the State Department to take action and account for our arms transfers with the U.K. and Australia so that we can address any hurdles and act seamlessly now and not wait for a time of crisis or even war.
For these reasons, I am proud of this bipartisan bill, which will begin to address numerous long-standing challenges in our arms exports to our closest allies and potentially serve as a roadmap for working with other close allies and partners.
I, again, thank Ranking Member Meeks, his team, and our members for working with my staff to ensure that this bill in support of a new long-term security pact with our allies becomes a reality.
Mr. Speaker, this bill deserves our unanimous support, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, with AUKUS, we seek peace through strength. The previous administration laid the groundwork to collaborate with our closest allies and partners in countering China's threat to peace. Our Nation stood alongside Australia and U.K. for the launch of the AUKUS trilateral partnership in September of 2021. Now, we are prepared to best implement this important program.
Through AUKUS, we are declaring that we will not stand idly by for Chairman Xi and other autocratic leaders to dictate when and under what circumstances the strength of our resilience is to be tested.
This bipartisan measure is a commitment to our partners. The American people stand with the U.K. and Australia in preserving freedom. Together we will uphold the international rules-based order and protect and preserve the right of sovereign nations to defend themselves.
In the Indo-Pacific, we have seen how one dictator, Chairman Xi, is defying the free world and threatening the open navigation and the free flow of trade. This week, Xi met with Putin in Moscow and afterwards possibly Iran.
Chairman Xi chooses to closely partner with Russia, who launched an unprovoked war of aggression with Ukraine, where they are committing barbaric war crimes, as I just returned from Kyiv and Bucha, where I saw the mass graves.
Mr. Putin also has a long track record of war crimes in Mali, Syria, and Central African Republic.
Xi also chooses to associate with Iran, whose Revolutionary Guard Corps is a designated foreign terrorist organization. These alliances are a clear indication that Xi does not seek peace but chooses to work with those who wish to destroy it.
Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to speak in a unified voice, as we do so often on the Foreign Affairs Committee, with my dear friend Mr. Meeks, in support of this great AUKUS partnership. Again, this measure deserves our unanimous support.
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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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