Washington, DC – Last night the Senate provided its advice and consent to ratification of Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties with the United Kingdom and with Australia. Earlier this week, Congress passed accompanying legislation to implement the treaties in the United States. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) worked with Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN) to craft the resolutions with which the Senate approved the treaties, as well as the accompanying legislation.
Following Senate approval of the treaties, Chairman Kerry released the following statement:
“I am pleased that the Senate has approved these important treaties with two of our closest allies. The United Kingdom and Australia are vital partners in supporting our broader foreign policy agenda. By eliminating unnecessary red tape, the treaties will allow our countries to work even more closely together. Yesterday’s bipartisan action by the Senate shows that Democrats and Republicans can come together in the best interest of our national security,” said Chairman Kerry.
The Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties with the United Kingdom and Australia will help make cooperation between the United States and these two nations more streamlined, efficient, and effective by removing bureaucratic delays. The accompanying legislation will ensure that United States law enforcement officials will have the tools they need to catch and prosecute anyone who might try to abuse the treaty regimes. The measures will also preserve long-standing Congressional prerogatives in the oversight of military assistance and cooperation.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved resolutions of ratification of the treaties and implementing legislation on September 21, 2010. The Senate passed the implementing legislation on September 28 and the House passed it on September 29.
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