Washington, DC – On Friday, House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Young Kim (CA-40), Arms Sales Task Force Chairman Ryan Zinke (MT-01), and Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) introduced the AUKUS Reform for Military Optimization and Review Act (ARMOR) Act, a bipartisan bill that would streamline and strengthen the Australia, United Kingdom, and United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership.
POLITICO National Security Daily first covered the bill HERE.
The ARMOR Act strengthens the expedited review process for AUKUS transfers, exports, and other activities involving advanced technologies and defense articles and services.
“The AUKUS trilateral security partnership protects our national security and projects shared strength,” said Congresswoman Kim. “The ARMOR Act will improve and streamline the expedited review process for AUKUS activities involving advanced technologies and defense articles and services. This will ensure that AUKUS Pillar II works as intended and with speed to deter pressing security threats. I thank Reps. Zinke and Dean for joining me in this bipartisan effort.”
“Since it’s creation in 2021, AUKUS has played a transformative role in allowing the United States to counter the rising threat China poses and shape a free and open Indo-Pacific for years to come,” said Congresswoman Dean. “This legislation will strengthen the historic AUKUS partnership by streamlining arms sales to some of our closest allies — Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada — while preserving Congress’s oversight authority and protecting the most sensitive U.S. technologies that underpin our security. I am grateful to work with Representative Kim to champion this critical, bipartisan effort to support our allies and bolster our shared defense.”
“The United States shares a special relationship with the UK and Australia that goes far beyond a mutual language; our countries are the closest of allies and we collaborate on economic and global security to make the world a safer and more prosperous place. Expediting the sale of defense items and services to these close allies will strengthen our partnership and enhance America’s strength worldwide. I am proud to support this important piece of bipartisan legislation from Congresswoman Kim, and I look forward to continuing our work on the Foreign Military Sales Task Force,” said Congressman Zinke.
AUKUS is a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States formed in 2021. There are two pillars of AUKUS:
- Pillar I is focused on helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
- Pillar II focuses on joint development and sharing of advanced technologies to boost military and defense capabilities. The ARMOR Act specifically relates to Pillar II.
