Ricketts and Sen. Tim Kaine introduced the UNLOCK AUKUS Act to strengthen AUKUS cooperation and licensing for defense technology sharing.
Introduce and support bipartisan legislation to strengthen AUKUS cooperation and licensing for defense technology sharing.
Occurrences
Evidence
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Sponsor: Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE] (Introduced 06/18/2025). Latest Action: Senate - 10/30/2025 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 235. This bill has the status Introduced.
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Mr. Ricketts (for himself, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Coons, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Rosen, and Mr. Peters) introduced the following bill. The bill states it is to make improvements to the AUKUS partnership and includes sections on Arms Export Control Act flexibility and elimination of certification requirements for commercial technical assistance or manufacturing license agreements involving Australia and the United Kingdom.
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Sponsor: Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE] | Cosponsor statistics: 10 current - includes 7 original. Party of Cosponsor: Democratic [5], Republican [5]. Original cosponsors included Sen. Kaine [D-VA], Sen. Cornyn [R-TX], Sen. Coons [D-DE], Sen. Fischer [R-NE], Sen. Murphy [D-CT], Sen. Scott [R-FL], and Sen. Sullivan [R-AK].
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Public Law 118-31 includes 'Subtitle B--Matters Relating to the AUKUS Partnership.' It defines AUKUS as the enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and says Pillar Two focuses on enhancing trilateral collaboration on advanced defense capabilities. Section 1343 adds AUKUS defense trade cooperation export control exemptions; section 1344 establishes expedited review of export licenses for advanced technologies to Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
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Question: On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2670). Measure Number: H.R. 2670 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024). Vote Result: Conference Report Agreed to. Vote Counts: YEAs 87, NAYs 13. Ricketts (R-NE), Yea.
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The current U.S. Code preliminary text lists Pub. L. 119-60, div. A, title X, Sec. 1085(a), Dec. 18, 2025, as the AUKUS Improvement Act of 2025. It also shows current 22 U.S.C. 2778(l) exempting qualifying AUKUS exports and transfers from licensing or approval requirements and congressional notification, and authorizing certain reexports, retransfers, and temporary imports among Australia, the United Kingdom, and eligible AUKUS users notwithstanding separate consent requirements.
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The Senate roll call for December 17, 2025 records Vote 648 on the motion to concur in the House amendment to S.1071. The motion was agreed to, 77-20, and Ricketts (R-NE) is recorded as voting Yea.
Assessments
Ricketts directly fulfilled the promise by introducing S.2130, the bipartisan AUKUS Improvement Act of 2025, with Democratic and Republican cosponsors and provisions on AUKUS defense technology sharing, Arms Export Control Act flexibility, and licensing/certification requirements for Australia and the United Kingdom. The policy was later enacted through the FY2026 NDAA as Public Law 119-60, and Ricketts voted for final Senate passage. This occurred during his Senate service, so credit is same-term delivery.
The promise was to introduce and support bipartisan legislation, not necessarily to secure enactment. During Ricketts's Senate service, he sponsored S.2130, the AUKUS Improvement Act of 2025, with bipartisan original cosponsors and later equal Democratic and Republican cosponsorship. The bill directly addresses AUKUS cooperation, Arms Export Control Act flexibility, and licensing/certification requirements for defense technology sharing with Australia and the United Kingdom. It also advanced out of committee to the Senate calendar, and Ricketts separately supported enacted FY2024 NDAA AUKUS provisions. This satisfies the promised federal legislative action in the same term.