Boise City Wire

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement today regarding the Biden-Harris Administration’s recent certification that the United Kingdom and Australia have regulatory systems comparable to those of the United States.

“It’s been nearly three years since AUKUS was announced, and the Biden-Harris Administration has just now decided to certify that our closest allies, the United Kingdom and Australia, have regulatory systems comparable to ours. That means there were three years of wasted time that could have been avoided if the executive branch started working on a licensing exemption when it first announced AUKUS,” said Risch.

“While the Biden-Harris Administration has yet to share with Congress the interim final International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) rule or its accompanying excluded technology list, I nonetheless plan to conduct vigorous oversight of its use to ensure that AUKUS is implemented according to the lofty goals with which it was announced.

“Good ideas are only as good as the will to implement them. Our inaction only rewards China, which is not suffering from the same self-imposed paralysis of the Biden-Harris Administration. Moving forward, I hope the State and Defense Departments will move more quickly to push AUKUS forward and deliver results.”

In May 2023, Senator Risch introduced the TORPEDO Act, legislation aimed at enabling cooperation with the United Kingdom and Australia on advanced defense technologies and holding the administration accountable for implementing AUKUS.

In July 2023, AUKUS legislation passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was included in a State Department authorization package. This laid out a path for aiding Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and facilitated collaboration between defense industries of AUKUS partners.

Also in July 2023, Risch published an op-ed in Defense News emphasizing easing defense regulations for allies to ensure AUKUS's success.

In September 2023, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on AUKUS, Risch stressed moving faster on Pillar 2 implementation or risk appearing unreliable as an ally while competing with China.

In December 2023, AUKUS legislation was incorporated into FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

In April 2024, Risch criticized the administration’s decision not to certify ITAR exemptions for UK and Australia under AUKUS through a public statement.

In May 2024, he sent a letter urging President Biden to certify export control systems of both nations as comparable to those of America and proceed with Pillar 2 implementation of AUKUS.

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