Republican, Democrat Lawmakers Push for ‘Unwavering’ Commitment to AUKUS

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Aug 14, 2025 - 10:16 Updated: Aug 13, 2025 - 19:29
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Republican, Democrat Lawmakers Push for ‘Unwavering’ Commitment to AUKUS

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A bipartisan U.S. congressional panel has urged the Trump administration to show “an unwavering commitment” to the AUKUS security pact, even as the White House delays its formal review.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), and ranking member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) described the trilateral partnership between Australia, the UK, and the United States as “vital” to countering Beijing’s expanding military reach.

The lawmakers warned that the CCP’s rapid expansion of nuclear, conventional, cyber, and space capabilities posed a “grave concern” to the United States and its allies.

“Many of these military capabilities are specifically designed to target the armed forces of the United States and our allies and partners,” the letter stated, arguing that such advances threaten Indo-Pacific stability and embolden Beijing’s “illegitimate territorial claims,” reads the letter dated July 22.
The committee said Beijing’s navy can now project bluewater power far from its shores, and that both AUKUS pillars are essential to bolstering joint defence.

Bipartisan Applause for Australia’s Submarine Plan

Highlighting the need for long-term capability building, the letter welcomed Australia’s $3 billion commitment to submarine industrial development—the first tranche delivered earlier this year.

“To be sure, both the United States and Australia must continue to make generational investments … to expand our respective submarine industrial bases, workforces, and force structure,” the lawmakers wrote.

They stressed that “AUKUS has received strong bipartisan support from Congress for a reason … We are stronger together under the AUKUS framework.”

The pact, conceived in 2021 under the Morrison government, aims to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and deepen cooperation on advanced defence technologies.

It is viewed by all three partners as central to deterring CCP military coercion in the Indo-Pacific.

Pentagon Review Pushes Timetable to Year-End

Despite the congressional pressure, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on July 29 that its review of the $368 billion (US$233 billion) AUKUS deal will not conclude until later this year.

In a statement on X, the office of U.S. Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby said, “The department anticipates completing the review in the fall,” indicating a timeframe between late September and November.

The Pentagon described the assessment as “fact-based” and “rigorous,” aimed at determining whether AUKUS aligns with President Donald Trump’s America First foreign policy.

“As part of this process the department looks forward to continuing regular engagements … with the U.S. Congress, our allies Australia and the United Kingdom, and other key stakeholders,” the statement said.

The delay leaves the future of Australia’s submarine program in limbo at a critical juncture.

Beyond submarines, the pact also includes cooperation in advanced military technologies such as quantum computing, unmanned systems, hypersonic weapons, and undersea warfare capabilities.
Colby has previously backed AUKUS “in principle” but warned about challenges to its implementation, including a potential shortage of 8,000 engineers needed to deliver the program.
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