H.R. 4725 would require the Secretary of State to designate a Senior Advisor and establish a task force to oversee and coordinate the implementation of a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States for a period of seven years. The purpose of that partnership—known as AUKUS—is to increase defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The bill would allow the Administration to use surcharges under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program to support the task force’s oversight of that partnership. It also would authorize the Department of State to spend fees collected from entities that trade defense-related items. Lastly, H.R. 4725 would require the department to report to the Congress on its activities under the bill.
