Reps. Courtney, Gallagher, Kilmer, and Moore Secure the First-Ever Support for AUKUS from the U.S. Congress in the 2023 NDAA

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (CT-02), Mike Gallagher (WI-08), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), and Blake Moore (UT-01), co-chairs of the bipartisan AUKUS Working Group, voted to pass the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The 2023 NDAA was passed in the House by a vote of 350-80, and includes a robust amount of support for America’s Navy and Armed Services, as well as for our military personnel and defense industrial base. Click here to read more.

This year’s defense authorization also marks a historic “first”: the 2023 NDAA includes the U.S. Congress’s first-ever provision in support of the AUKUS defense alliance. The undersea defense partnership between the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia is the most significant national security alliance that America has entered in generations, and the NDAA includes an amendment that will help ensure Australia’s Navy is trained and ready to pilot their nuclear-powered submarine fleet of the future. The amendment was authored by Rep. Courtney, and as Co-Chairs of the AUKUS Working Group, Courtney, Gallagher, Kilmer, and Moore worked together to ensure it was included in the 2023 NDAA.

"As this year’s AUSMIN meetings conclude, I’m more bullish than ever on importance of our AUKUS undersea alliance, and on the seminal role it will play in our nations’ histories,” said Rep. Courtney. “The Indo-Pacific region has become increasingly important for the national security priorities of America and its allies, making it critical that AUKUS is implemented successfully. That’s going to require the help of Congress, and today, as the House voted to pass the NDAA, the AUKUS Working Group led the way in taking the very first step by the U.S. Congress towards making AUKUS a success. The amendment we worked to include in the 2023 NDAA will help ensure that Royal Australian Navy officers are ready to pilot these world-beating submarines expertly upon arrival. There’s still a lot more work ahead to develop the way forward for our nations to meet the near- and long-term goals of AUKUS, and it’s far too early to rule anything in or out, but with bipartisan wins like these I’m confident that we’ll be able to overcome any challenges along the way.”

“The NDAA gave Congress its first chance to strengthen the AUKUS partnership, and with the leadership of Rep. Courtney, the AUKUS Working Group was able to ensure this opportunity didn’t go to waste. This provision will play a critical role in ensuring our allies have the training and resources they need to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and will no doubt make the AUKUS even stronger than it is today,” said Rep. Gallagher.

“In 2022, our strategic alliances and partnerships across the globe are more important than ever – that’s why I’m encouraged to see that this year’s National Defense Authorization Act includes a key provision that our working group supported,” said Rep. Kilmer. “Facilitating a pipeline to help strengthen the Australian Navy makes a whole lot of sense. Doing so also helps strengthen the AUKUS Alliance and our security partnership in the Indo-Pacific.”

“I am thrilled the 2023 NDAA recognizes the important work of AUKUS to bolster the special relationship between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom and enhance our shared global security efforts,” said Rep. Moore. “This year’s defense authorization includes a new training pipeline between Australia’s Navy and our own, which will facilitate a safe, effective and rapid fielding of their nuclear-powered submarine fleet. This is just the beginning of a new era in global maritime defense cooperation. My colleagues and I look forward to continue fostering this critical alliance in defense of the rules based international order and freedom across our nations.” 

The AUKUS Working Group’s bipartisan provision in the final 2023 NDAA will support the success of AUKUS by helping ensure Australia’s Navy is ready to pilot nuclear-powered submarine technology upon delivery by:

• Establishing a Submariner Training Pipeline—The bill includes a provision that would require the Secretary of Defense to establish a training program for Royal Australian Navy submarine officers to begin training at Navy Nuclear Propulsion School and eventually be assigned to duty on an operational U.S. submarine in support of the trilateral partnership between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia announced by the Biden Administration last September. This provision was adopted to the NDAA from Rep. Courtney’s U.S.-Australia Submarine Officer Pipeline Act, a bill he introduced in June. 

The AUKUS Working Group, also known as the AUKUS Caucus, was established to serve as the primary panel in the U.S. Congress for implementation and collaboration on the new undersea alliance. Reps. Courtney and Gallagher helped announce the formation of the panel in April. Click here to read more.

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