Arms Control, FMS and AUKUS on the Hill

The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing examining the importance of the trilateral AUKUS security pact among the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

At the hearing, Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) discussed the importance of reforming America’s foreign military sales (FMS), called for rebuilding the country’s defense industrial base, and hinted at reforms to existing arms control and nonproliferation policies.

Testifying was Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins, who defended the Biden Administration’s initiatives within her remit.

Scrupulously avoided during the hearing on military assistance was mention of the $95.34 billion military aid package for Ukraine and other allies being blocked by House leadership.

The Chairman’s remarks included:

“We must modernize our approach to security to advance our strategic goals. That includes working with our allies in new and innovative ways.  AUKUS is a prime example of how we should be partnering with our closest allies.

“I agree with the administration, that to counter CCP aggression we must work with our closest allies—importantly here, the U.K. and Australia.  That is why I led the bipartisan AUKUS implementation legislation, which passed into law this past December on the National Defense Authorization bill.

“This legislation grants the administration the authority to issue [International Traffic in Arms Regulations] exemptions, so we can deploy cutting-edge technology with our closest partners.  This April, a presidential determination to finally grant these exemptions will allow the AUKUS pact to move forward.

“Alongside AUKUS, we need to rebuild our defense industrial base.  We must make investments to support the defense industrial base, and include innovative companies that are producing cutting-edge technology, but struggle to secure a government contract.

“We must cut through the red tape and streamline the process to make federal contracts obtainable and trust the private sector to do what it does best—and that’s innovate.  Bureaucracy should not get in the way of American innovation.

Additionally, to successfully move forward, we must reform our foreign military sales process.

When I travel overseas, I hear the same thing over-and-over from our allies: they want our equipment and our weapon systems, but they can’t afford the delays.  Since 2019, I have approved 19 sales totaling over $22 billion to Taiwan that have yet to be delivered.

Seeing these challenges firsthand, I convened a task force led by Representative Waltz, which last week published its report highlighting desperately needed improvements to our (FMS) process. It’s called the “Foreign Military Sales [Technical, Industrial, and Governmental Engagement for Readiness] Task Force Report,” recently released.  It will be the first time we’ve had FMS reform. The first time in a generation.

We’re going to look at outdated arms control and nonproliferation policies, like the Missile Technology Control Regime, and whether the Department’s structural organization needs updating to combat the challenges we face today.

Under Secretary Jenkins' Testimony

In her testimony, Under Secretary Jenkins defended the Administration’s efforts to address those concerns.

“This includes working to advance the full scope of arms control measures, both in terms of weapons of mass destruction and conventional arms, to strengthen deterrence and strategic stability. In the past two years alone, this Administration has secured allied unity to suspend the Treaty on Armed Conventional Forces in Europe in response to the Russian withdrawal; we proposed and passed United Nations resolutions calling on countries to not conduct destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests and to not use radiological weapons; we led 52 States – and counting – in endorsing responsible practices in the use of artificial intelligence for military applications; and finally – finally – completed the destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile, ensuring that an entire category of declared weapons of mass destruction (WMD) stockpiles has been eliminated.

“At the same time, we are continuing our strong support to the international nuclear nonproliferation regime by strengthening nuclear safety, security, and safeguards, especially as we assist nations in partnering in nuclear energy and peaceful nuclear cooperation; building capacity to mitigate proliferation threats; sanctioning actors engaged in illicit activities; enhancing interdiction measures; and protecting sensitive U.S. technologies from exploitation. Thanks to the strong bipartisan support of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund, this Administration has made profound contributions to protect semiconductor and other emerging technologies.

“We are particularly paying close attention to critical and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum, and advanced computing to ensure our security and prevent their misuse by countries like the PRC. While we are using existing regulations, export controls, legislation, and treaties to address these challenges, we fully recognize that we must adapt to the speed, scope, and scale of how fast these technology sectors are moving.

“AUKUS, as many of you know, is consequential in a positive way. By deepening our cooperation across the three countries, AUKUS strengthens our long-term defense and national security, provides us a clear pathway to continue advancing our shared vision of a free, open, and more secure Indo-Pacific, and sends a strong signal of deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.”