Friends of Australia Caucus Statement on President Trump-Prime Minister Albanese Meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Friends of Australia Caucus Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, and Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chair Emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee issued the following joint statement:

“Today’s meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Albanese sends a powerful message that our nation is serious about maintaining a strong U.S.-Australia alliance and a free and open Indo-Pacific. The new agreement between our two nations on rare earth minerals will prepare our industrial base to best contend with China’s near monopoly on production and processing. This agreement — along with the President’s clear support for expediting AUKUS, including the sale of Virginia-class submarines to Australia — will strengthen our already iron-clad alliance,” said the Co-Chairs. “The enduring value of AUKUS has now been endorsed by successive governments of opposing parties in all three nations since its inception, and strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress and the parliaments in London and Canberra has underpinned its success thus far. With today’s meeting, the path ahead is clear for all three navies and their respective defense industries to accelerate the AUKUS program, which aims to rebalance the security environment in favor of the rule of law and peace in the Indo-Pacific.”