NEWS WRAP

Historic same-sex marriage bill signed

• Biden signs historic same-sex marriage bill | President Biden has signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, which grants federal protections to same-sex and interracial couples, and marks a milestone in the United States’ decades-long fight over gay marriage. A minority of Republicans supported the Democrats in voting to pass the bill into law. READ MORE HERE
   

• McCarthy a "hell no" ahead of shutdown deadline | In the waning days of the 117th Congress, there is a significant to-do list before the new Congress is sworn in. While speculation indicated they might successfully pass an omnibus spending package before the shutdown deadline on 16 December, likely future Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said he is a "hell no" on the current spending bill, preferring to wait until Republicans have the majority. READ MORE HERE
   

• NASA's return to the moon | 50 years after the last person set foot on the moon, NASA’s unmanned spacecraft returned safely to earth. The rocket passed by the moon twice, coming within 80 miles of the surface. This is the latest milestone ahead of NASA sending the next human to the moon. READ MORE HERE 
   

• Brittney Griner swapped for notorious arms dealer | In an exchange for arms dealer Victor Bout, US WNBA champion Brittney Griner has been returned to the United States after her arrest in Russia for possessing cannabis oil. US officials indicated a Russian assassin had also been discussed for potential exchange and former Marine Paul Whelan remains in Russian custody. READ MORE HERE
   

• Former FTX CEO Bankman-Fried arrested in Bahamas | US prosecutors arrested Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, for a host of financial crimes. His arrest in the Bahamas came one day before he was slated to testify before Congress. READ MORE HERE

ANALYSIS

Australia and the US take a realist approach after AUSMIN talks

Dr Peter K. Lee, Foreign Policy and Defence Research Fellow
Tom Corben, Foreign Policy and Defence Research Fellow
Sophie Mayo, Foreign Policy and Defence Research Associate

There is a decidedly realist tone to this year’s AUSMIN, at least from Australia’s perspective. In her remarks at the joint press conference, Wong largely dispensed with talk of shared history and values. Instead, she cast AUSMIN as “the primary forum for us as an alliance […] to make progress on shared interests”.

Ideology has also taken a backseat. The emphasis on “democratic values” and human rights that occupied an entire section in last year’s joint statement has been condensed and accompanied by a more balanced assessment of China. This notes the need for responsible competition, risk reduction, and co-operation on issues of shared interest.

This year’s statement also sharpens the alliance’s focus on Australia’s region. The Pacific Islands are front and centre. There are four detailed paragraphs on how the Australia-US alliance is engaging these countries diplomatically, economically, militarily and in the maritime environment.

From Wong’s relentless regional engagement since taking office, to US President Joe Biden’s hosting of the first US-Pacific Islands Summit in September, and both countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with ASEAN, Australia and the United States have clearly increased their diplomatic engagements with these two vital subregions.

The focus on maritime security co-operation with the Pacific Islands, in particular, complements similar alliance activities in South-East Asia, where Australia and the United States should be looking to better integrate their respective lines of effort.

By contrast, there was no reference to the Afghanistan conflict or the threat of terrorism. The statement thus reflects the conclusion of the alliance’s Middle East period.

This is an excerpt from Australia and US take realist approach to regional influence, first published on The Conversation.

BY THE NUMBERS

Biden vs Trump phone calls in first 18 months of their administrations

In Dedication or distraction in Indo-Pacific diplomacy? USSC Research Associate Alice Nason compared US Indo-Pacific engagement under the Obama, Trump and Biden presidencies.

Her research found that President Biden’s digital engagement with regional heads of state has been subdued compared to his predecessors. He made only 24 calls to Indo-Pacific counterparts over his first 18 months, far fewer than former President Trump who made 33 to Japan and Korea alone over the same time period.

The report posits that the coming months will be a critical time for President Biden. To successfully compete for influence and ensure that ambitious initiatives like the Quad and AUKUS succeed, robust engagement with partners throughout the Indo-Pacific, including at the presidential level, will remain a strategic imperative.

VIDEO

Australia-US contributions to Southeast Asian maritime security resilience

The USSC launched a new report by the Foreign Policy and Defence Program, Many Hands: Australia-US contributions to Southeast Asian maritime security resilience.

While Australia and the United States already pursue a range of security cooperation activities in Southeast Asia, this report examined how they can work together with Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam to resist maritime coercion in the South China Sea.

The webinar was hosted by USSC Research Fellow and a co-author of the report Dr Peter K. Lee alongside the other report authors: Andi Supriyanto, from Universitas Indonesia, Professor Renato Cruz De Castro from De La Salle University, Dr Collin Koh from RSIS, Nanyang Technological University) and Dr Lan-Anh Nguyen from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam).

Catch more podcast and video analysis on the United States here.

THE WEEK IN TWEETS

#RespectforMarriageAct