Courtney Joins Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at U.S. Capitol for Meeting on AUKUS Alliance

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Chairman of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus, joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and others to welcome The Honorable Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia, to the U.S. Capitol. Prime Minister Morrison was in Washington today to meet with bipartisan House and Senate leaders following President Biden's announcement last week of a historic new security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, known as "AUKUS." The new trilateral security grouping is intended to promote greater cooperation on national security issues between the three nations, particularly those emanating from the Indo-Pacific region.

Under the pact, the U.S. and U.K. will help Australia to develop and deploy nuclear-powered submarines, capable of meeting the demands presented by current regional challenges. Rep. Courtney is the Chairman of the House Seapower Subcommittee, which oversees all U.S. Navy shipbuilding. He is the Representative of Groton, Connecticut, known as the Submarine Capital of the World. And he is the Co-Chairman of the bipartisan Friends of Australia Caucus—the go-to group in Congress for interaction between the Australian and U.S. governments. Courtney has been in close touch with U.S. Navy officials and his counterparts in Australia since AUKUS was announced, and today met with Prime Minister Morrison to continue discussing details of the new partnership.

"It was an honor to welcome Prime Minister Morrison to the U.S. Capitol today, and to continue discussing details of the new AUKUS partnership," said Courtney. "The Indo-Pacific has become an increasingly intense point of focus for defending our collective security and interests—not just for America, not just for Australia, but for all our allies concerned about global commerce and adherence to the international rule of law. Prime Minister Morrison is focused on ensuring success in the Indo-Pacific, and today was a good chance for us to continue discussing the details of the new AUKUS alliance—particularly Australia's hard-pressed decision to switch their fleet over to nuclear technology, a must-have for a competitive submarine program. The AUKUS alliance is a game-changer that will dramatically expand the reach of a key ally in a key region, and it's a testament to the kind of ally Australia has proven itself to be—one we can always count on to stand strong for our shared values."

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