[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5485-S5486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3166. Mr. ROMNEY (for himself and Mr. Kaine) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title XII, add the following:

          Subtitle G--Coordinating AUKUS Engagement With Japan

     SEC. 1291. DEFINITIONS.

       In this subtitle:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
       (2) AUKUS official.--The term ``AUKUS official'' means a 
     government official with responsibilities related to the 
     implementation of the AUKUS partnership.
       (3) AUKUS partnership.--The term ``AUKUS partnership'' has 
     the meaning given that term in section 1321 of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2024 (22 U.S.C. 
     10401).
       (4) State aukus coordinator.--The term ``State AUKUS 
     Coordinator'' means the senior advisor at the Department of 
     State designated under section 1331(a)(1) of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (22 U.S.C. 
     10411(a)(1)).
       (5) Defense aukus coordinator.--The term ``Defense AUKUS 
     Coordinator'' means the senior civilian official of the 
     Department of Defense designated under section 1332(a) of the 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (22 
     U.S.C. 10412(a)).
       (6) Pillar two.--The term ``Pillar Two'' has the meaning 
     given that term in section 1321(2)(B) of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2024 (22 U.S.C. 
     10401(2)(B)).
       (7) United states munitions list.--The term ``United States 
     Munitions List'' means the list set forth in part 121 of 
     title 22, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
     regulations).

     SEC. 1292. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the United States should continue to strengthen 
     relationships and cooperation with allies in order to 
     effectively counter the People's Republic of China;
       (2) the United States should capitalize on the 
     technological advancements allies have made in order to 
     deliver more advanced capabilities at speed and at scale to 
     the United States military and the militaries of partner 
     countries;
       (3) the historic announcement of the AUKUS partnership laid 
     out a vision for future defense cooperation in the Indo-
     Pacific among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United 
     States;
       (4) Pillar Two of the AUKUS partnership envisions 
     cooperation on advanced technologies, including hypersonic 
     capabilities, electronic warfare capabilities, cyber 
     capabilities, quantum technologies, undersea capabilities, 
     and space capabilities;
       (5) trusted partners of the United States, the United 
     Kingdom, and Australia, such as Japan, could benefit from and 
     offer significant contributions to a range of projects 
     related to Pillar Two of the AUKUS partnership;
       (6) Japan is a treaty ally of the United States and a 
     technologically advanced country with the world's third-
     largest economy;
       (7) in 2022, Australia signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement 
     with Japan to facilitate reciprocal access and cooperation 
     between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Australian 
     Defence Force;
       (8) in 2023, the United Kingdom signed a Reciprocal Access 
     Agreement with Japan to facilitate reciprocal access and 
     cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the 
     Armed Forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 
     Northern Ireland;
       (9) in 2014, Japan relaxed its post-war constraints on the 
     export of non-lethal defense equipment, and in March 2024, 
     Japan further refined that policy to allow for the export of 
     weapons to countries with which it has an agreement in place 
     on defense equipment and technology transfers;
       (10) in 2013, Japan passed a secrecy law obligating 
     government officials to protect diplomatic and defense 
     information, and in February 2024, the Cabinet approved a 
     bill creating a new security clearance system covering 
     economic secrets; and
       (11) in April 2024, the United States, Australia, and the 
     United Kingdom announced they would consider cooperating with 
     Japan on advanced capability projects under Pillar Two of the 
     AUKUS partnership.

     SEC. 1293. ENGAGEMENT WITH JAPAN ON AUKUS PILLAR TWO 
                   COOPERATION.

       (a) Engagement Required.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the State AUKUS Coordinator and 
     the Defense AUKUS Coordinator shall jointly engage directly, 
     at a technical level, with the relevant stakeholders in the 
     Government of Japan--
       (A) to better understand the export control system of Japan 
     and the effects of the reforms the Government of Japan has 
     made to that system since 2014;
       (B) to determine overlapping areas of interest and the 
     potential for cooperation with Australia, the United Kingdom, 
     and the United States on projects related to the AUKUS 
     partnership and other projects; and
       (C) to identify areas in which the Government of Japan 
     might need to adjust the export control system of Japan in 
     order to guard against export control violations or other 
     related issues in order to be a successful potential partner 
     in Pillar Two of the AUKUS partnership.
       (2) Consultation with aukus officials.--In carrying out the 
     engagement required by paragraph (1), the State AUKUS 
     Coordinator and the Defense AUKUS Coordinator shall consult 
     with relevant AUKUS officials from the United Kingdom and 
     Australia.
       (b) Briefing Requirement.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date of the engagement required by subsection (a), the State 
     AUKUS Coordinator and the Defense AUKUS Coordinator shall 
     jointly brief the appropriate congressional committees on the 
     following:
       (1) The findings of that engagement.
       (2) A strategy for follow-on engagement.

     SEC. 1294. ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION WITH JAPAN 
                   ON AUKUS PILLAR TWO.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the 
     Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees a report assessing the potential for 
     cooperation with Japan on Pillar Two of the AUKUS 
     partnership, detailing the following:
       (1) Projects the Government of Japan is engaged in related 
     to the development of advanced defense capabilities under 
     Pillar Two of the AUKUS partnership.

[[Page S5486]]

       (2) Areas of potential cooperation with Japan on advanced 
     defense capabilities within and outside the scope of Pillar 
     Two of the AUKUS partnership.
       (3) The Secretaries' assessment of the current export 
     control system of Japan, including--
       (A) the procedures under that system for protecting 
     classified and sensitive defense, diplomatic, and economic 
     information;
       (B) the effectiveness of that system in protecting such 
     information; and
       (C) such other matters as the Secretaries consider 
     appropriate.
       (4) Any reforms by Japan that the Secretary of State 
     considers necessary before considering including Japan in the 
     privileges provided under Pillar Two of the AUKUS 
     partnership.
       (5) Any recommendations regarding the scope and conditions 
     of potential cooperation with Japan under Pillar Two of the 
     AUKUS partnership.
       (6) A strategy and forum for communicating the potential 
     benefits of and requirements for engaging in projects related 
     to Pillar Two of the AUKUS partnership with the Government of 
     Japan.
       (7) Any views provided by AUKUS officials from the United 
     Kingdom and Australia on issues relevant to the report, and a 
     plan for cooperation with such officials on future engagement 
     with the Government of Japan related to Pillar Two of the 
     AUKUS partnership.
                                 ______