[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3965-H3967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ALLIED DEFENSE SALES ACT
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 8665) to require the implementation of a strategy to encourage
foreign partners to participate in the foreign military sales and
direct commercial sales processes on a multinational basis, and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 8665
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Allied Defense Sales Act''.
SEC. 2. STRATEGY AND REPORT ON MULTINATIONAL PROCUREMENT FROM
THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
implement a strategy to encourage foreign partners to
participate in the foreign military sales and direct
commercial sales processes on a multinational basis. Such
strategy shall incorporate existing efforts by the Department
of State to--
(1) survey interest in participating in such multinational
procurement processes among potentially eligible countries;
(2) identify countries and partners who may be eligible to
serve as the lead purchase coordinator for a multinational
procurement process, and potential incentives for their
participation as lead coordinator;
(3) review pathways for participation in foreign military
sales or direct commercial sales processes for countries
determined to be ineligible for foreign military financing
loans;
(4) identify challenges and solutions for the Department in
carrying out such processes in accordance with the Arms
Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), including
applicable end-use monitoring, technical assistance
agreements, and license filing requirements;
(5) identify ways to provide for expedited license
authorizations, sales other than for programs of record, and
other potential efforts to increase speed and ease enhanced
use of multinational procurement processes;
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(6) detailing the benefits of multinational procurement
processes to the national security interest, including
enhanced military interoperability and strengthening the
domestic industrial base; and
(7) identify opportunities to develop and promote
exportable defense articles and services, including for
purposes of supporting the AUKUS partnership.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter for 3
years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the strategy required by
subsection (a) and its implementation. Such report shall also
include--
(1) an update on the development and implementation of the
initial strategy during the period following the most recent
prior submission of such report (if any);
(2) a description of challenges faced in the implementation
of the strategy;
(3) a description of all efforts the Department has
undertaken to overcome such challenges;
(4) a list and description of any potential legislative
changes necessary to fully implement a multinational
procurement process for foreign military sales and direct
commercial sales; and
(5) a description of efforts to promote exportable defense
articles and services specifically for use in multinational
procurement processes, including those supporting the AUKUS
partnership.
(c) Form.--The report required by subsection (b) shall be
submitted in unclassified form and may include a classified
annex.
(d) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(2) the term ``AUKUS partnership'' means the enhanced
trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United
Kingdom, and the United States announced in September 2021;
and
(3) the term ``multinational procurement process'' refers
to a process by which defense articles or services are sold
by the United States to a lead foreign nation, with the
intent that the articles or services so sold will
subsequently be retransferred to a previously identified
group of participating countries, or to countries identified
by reference to a qualifying multilateral partnership
agreement, such as a cross-servicing agreement described in
section 2350 of title 10, United States Code.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Mast) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Bera) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert
extraneous material on H.R. 8665.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it has long been recognized by our partners and allies
that the American foreign military sales system is slow, inefficient,
and opaque. While the benefits outweigh the costs for many of our
closest allies, it takes a real investment of personnel, time, and
resources for our foreign partners to be able to successfully
participate in our foreign military sales.
American-made defense systems remain the most effective, advanced,
and sought-after in the world, but we need to keep expanding our base
of foreign partners that purchase American defense systems.
H.R. 8665, the Allied Defense Sales Act, is a bipartisan effort to
break down barriers for smaller allies and smaller countries that do
not have a longstanding defense sales relationship with the United
States.
This bill allows smaller countries to pool resources and participate
in the foreign military sales system, expanding America's circle of
equipped, interoperable allies without requiring new foreign aid
spending.
I thank my colleague Mr. Zinke of Montana, the sponsor of this bill,
who led the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Foreign Arms Sales Task
Force and has continued the important work of ensuring America remains
the partner of choice for foreign defense sales.
This legislation passed the Foreign Affairs Committee with broad
bipartisan support, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting
it on the floor today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a bill I co-led
with Representative Zinke regarding the promotion of multicountry
defense article purchases, which can result in lower prices, greater
efficiencies, and interoperability for our allies and partners.
While most foreign defense sales are conducted by individual
countries as purchasers, multicountry purchases can provide more
competitive pricing, coordination, and other benefits, including for
smaller countries that are less frequent purchasers, as well as
multinational alliances.
This bill directs the Secretary of State to develop and implement a
strategy to encourage U.S. foreign partners to participate in the
foreign military sales, FMS, and direct commercial sales, DCS,
processes on a multinational basis.
The bill also includes reporting requirements providing Congress with
details on this strategy and its implementation. While multinational
purchases are not currently prohibited by statute, this bill requires a
strategy for socializing, promoting, and making available said options
for multinational cases to purchasing countries and an accompanying
report to Congress.
This will be beneficial to both the U.S. and our partners and allies
and provides helpful additional information to Congress as we conduct
necessary oversight over this initiative. Therefore, I am pleased to
support it, and I encourage my colleagues to do so, as well.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), who is the chairwoman of the
East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee.
Mrs. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8665,
the Allied Defense Sales Act.
As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Foreign Military
Sales Task Force, I am proud to cosponsor this bipartisan bill
introduced by our task force chair, Representative Zinke.
H.R. 8665 is a practical step forward to strengthen our defense
industrial base while reinforcing partnerships with trusted partners.
America produces the most advanced and reliable defense systems in
the world. Our partners across Europe, Asia, and beyond consistently
prefer U.S. equipment for its quality, performance, and the security
relationships that come with it. Yet, many smaller nations face
significant obstacles when pursuing individual purchases. The
administrative burden, minimum order sizes, and unpredictable timelines
often discourage sales that would otherwise benefit both our allies and
American industry.
H.R. 8665 addresses these challenges head-on. The bill directs the
State Department to develop a clear strategy for enabling multinational
procurement. A partner nation would agree to serve as the lead nation
to enable a multinational procurement, ensuring other qualified allies
are able to participate in important foreign military sales.
By combining demand, we can achieve more predictable production
schedules, lower unit costs, faster deliveries, and greater overall
efficiency for manufacturers here at home.
This model also improves interoperability among our partners,
allowing them to work more seamlessly alongside U.S. forces and with
one another.
This legislation requires the Department to assess allied interest,
identify suitable lead coordinators, examine financing options for
partners that may not qualify for standard programs, address regulatory
hurdles under existing export laws, and highlight opportunities to make
more U.S. capabilities available for export. The Department will need
to regularly report to Congress on implementation and on its results.
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In an era when competitors are aggressively marketing their systems
abroad, we must make it easier for allies to choose American. This bill
does that without compromising our rigorous oversight or security
standards.
It supports good-paying jobs in defense manufacturing hubs
nationwide, including in Orange and Riverside Counties in my district,
which many aerospace and defense primes, SMEs,
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and startups call home. It enhances collective deterrence and advances
U.S. foreign policy that prioritizes both economic strength and
strategic advantage.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8665 is a commonsense step forward. I urge my
colleagues to join me in supporting its passage.
Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill will promote multicountry defense article
purchases that will, in practice, lower prices, boost interoperability,
and provide other benefits. It will help streamline these purchases,
including for multinational alliances and smaller countries. I support
this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we do everything we can to equip
our allies, big and small, with the best U.S. defense technology,
ensuring that we remain interoperable with our partners in a conflict.
This legislation is a key step forward to strengthening the U.S.
defense industrial base and bolstering our allies' defense capabilities
with the best equipment anywhere on the globe, the United States of
America equipment, which is generations beyond everybody else's.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8665, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 8665.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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