Senate Democrats Seek to Shore Up AUKUS
The Trump administration should “maintain and strengthen” the Australia-U.K.-U.S. security partnership as part of a broader effort to compete with China, Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in a report released July 14.
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To fortify AUKUS, the administration should ensure the partnership “has sufficient authorities, resources and personnel,” the lawmakers wrote. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the committee’s ranking member, commissioned the report.
The Defense Department recently launched a review of AUKUS, which began under the Biden administration. In response, Shaheen said she's concerned the administration may be preparing to end the partnership, which has led to new exemptions for defense trade between the three nations (see 2506130048).
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a Foreign Relations Committee member, has introduced legislation to bolster AUKUS, including a bill aimed at removing more obstacles to defense trade within the partnership (see 2506200003). Kaine has also called for the State and Defense departments to explore adding Japan to AUKUS (see 2405090004).