III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 50 

Reaffirming a strong commitment to the United States-Australia alliance 

relationship. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 6, 2017 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. 

DURBIN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. COONS, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. BOOKER, and 

Mr. BLUNT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Reaffirming a strong commitment to the United StatesAustralia alliance relationship. 

Whereas Australia is a fellow democracy and vital partner of 

the United States; 

Whereas the United States and Australia share core values 

as well as deep cultural, security, and people-to-people 

ties; 

Whereas Australia has been a treaty ally of the United States 

since the signing of the Australia-New Zealand-United 

States (ANZUS) Treaty in 1951; 

Whereas an alliance bond is a sacred vow of friendship and 

trust, and Australia has always been a faithful and reliable partner to the United States; 


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•SRES 50 IS 

Whereas United States-Australia defense and intelligence ties 

and cooperation are exceptionally close, and Australian 

forces have fought together with the United States military in every significant conflict since World War I and 

over 100,000 Australian servicemembers have paid the 

highest price in the course of their service alongside 

United States allies; 

Whereas Australia was one of the first countries to commit 

troops to United States military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq after September 11, 2001; 

Whereas Australia is a close partner of the United States, 

sharing information essential to the defense and security 

of the two countries, including through the Five Eyes intelligence community; 

Whereas the United States-Australia alliance is an anchor for 

peace and stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific region and 

around the world; 

Whereas, United States and Australia signed the U.S.-Australia Force Posture Agreement at the annual AustraliaUnited States Ministerial consultations (AUSMIN) in 

August 2014, paving the way for even closer defense and 

security cooperation; 

Whereas, on October 2015, United States and Australia defense agencies signed a Joint Statement on Defense Cooperation to serve as a guide for future cooperation; 

Whereas Australia has welcomed proposals to reposition 

United States Marines to maintain Marine forces in the 

western Pacific and improve the United States strategic 

posture in the Indo-Asia Pacific region; 


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•SRES 50 IS 

Whereas Australia has led peacekeeping efforts in the IndoAsia Pacific, including in Timor-Leste and the Solomon 

Islands; 

Whereas Australia and the United States share strategic interests in the Indo-Asia Pacific region and globally, and 

have worked together to promote these shared goals and 

objectives; 

Whereas the United States and Australia have been free 

trade agreement partners since 2005, and the United 

States has a positive trade balance with Australia; 

Whereas robust United States-Australia defense cooperation 

contributes not only to the mutual defense of the two 

countries but also to American jobs; 

Whereas more than 300,000 United States jobs are supported by United States exports to Australia and nearly 

9,000 Australian companies sell or operate in the United 

States; 

Whereas the United States and Australia work closely in the 

numerous global and regional fora, including the World 

Trade Organization and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum; 

Whereas Australia shares many of the United States concerns in the struggle against Islamist militancy in Southeast Asia and beyond, and is part of the global coalition 

to defeat the ‘‘so-called Islamic State (IS)’’; and 

Whereas the United States and Australia have enjoyed a 

close relationship over many successive Republican and 

Democratic administrations: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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•SRES 50 IS 

1 (1) reaffirms the strong alliance relationship be2 tween Australia and the United States; 

3 (2) supports continued diplomatic, military, and 

4 economic cooperation between Australia and the 

5 United States; and 

6 (3) reaffirms the importance of a United 

7 States-Australia relationship based on mutual re8 spect and befitting a close and longstanding United 

9 States alliance partner crucial to the preservation of 

10 United States national interests in the Indo-Asia Pa11 cific region and around the world. 

Æ 


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