Denver — U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) to introduce the AUKUS Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) agreement by streamlining defense industrial base collaboration and co-production of Virginia-class submarines.
“Amid China’s escalating aggressive and coercive tactics, we must bolster cooperation with our AUKUS partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Bennet. “The AUKUS Improvement Act will strengthen this key partnership to promote a secure and stable region.”
“The AUKUS partnership is critical to countering the threat from China and ensuring the Indo-Pacific remains free and open,” said Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to strengthen AUKUS and boost defense collaboration among our countries.”
Specifically, the AUKUS Improvement Act would:
- Exempt U.S. State Department-vetted entities approved as AUKUS Authorized Users from the requirement to obtain Third Party transfer approvals under Foreign Military Sales; and
- Exempt Australia and the United Kingdom from the need for Congressional Notification for overseas manufacturing.
As part of last year’s National Defense Authorization Act, Bennet secured passage of the Coordinating AUKUS Engagement with Japan Act, which requires the Department of Defense and State Department to determine how Japan can contribute to the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In June 2025, Bennet and Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) also introduced the Quad Space Act to strengthen space cooperation among the four members of the Quad – Australia, India, Japan, and the United States – to address shared challenges, such as China’s reckless behavior in space, by better ensuring safe and secure space missions, tracking objects and activities in space, and fostering shared innovation.
Additionally, Bennet played a leading role in passing the April 2024 national security aid package, which included $8.13 billion for Indo-Pacific partners, including Taiwan and the Philippines. That month, he traveled to Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines to underscore the unwavering U.S. commitment to our allies and partners and discuss areas of future cooperation.
In addition to Bennet, Kaine, and Ricketts, U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) cosponsored this bill.
The text of the bill is available HERE.