Baumgartner Bill to Speed Allied Defense Sales in Arms Export Licenses Passes With Strong Bipartisan Support

WASHINGTON- Today, the House passed Congressman Michael Baumgartner's (WA-05) International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Licensing Reform Actwith strong bipartisan support under suspension of the rules. The bill takes direct aim at the outdated, slow-moving process for approving arms export licenses-particularly for America's closest allies.

"America must remain the defense partner of choice. That requires time-certain decisions for our trusted allies, not years of red tape," said Congressman Baumgartner. "The ITAR Licensing Reform Act prioritizes key partners, sets real deadlines, and forces transparency and accountability--so allied defense kits get to the front lines faster, U.S. industry responds faster, and adversaries see a stronger, more credible coalition. I'm proud it passed the House with strong bipartisan support today."

Currently, all Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) license applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with no priority given to key U.S. partners. This creates costly delays, uncertainty for our allies, and potential risks to U.S. national security.

The ITAR Licensing Reform Act fixes this by requiring the Secretary of State to maintain a list of priority countries eligible for expedited license processing. It sets clear deadlines-45 days for priority partners and 60 days for all applications to the maximum extent practicable-ensuring that trusted allies get the support they need, when they need it to defend against threats posed by our common adversaries-like Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea.

Congressman Baumgartner's bill codifies President Trump's Executive Order, Reforming Foreign Defense Sales to Improve Speed and Accountability.

Background:

Several bipartisan bills also passed the House under suspension today, marking continued momentum on national security and foreign policy priorities. To pass a bill under suspension, the bill requires a 2/3 majority vote, reflecting broad agreement across party lines. Great-power competition is a race against time - and our allies are part of our nation's defense. When Washington can't deliver licenses predictably, allies hedge elsewhere, and U.S. producers delay capital and workforce investments.

Also passed under suspension today are two bills that would modernize and expedite critical aspects of U.S. foreign military sales.

• H.R. 4216 - FMS-Only List Review Act (Rep. Sheri Biggs). The current Foreign Military Sales (FMS)-only list, which restricts certain defense articles and services to the slower, government-to-government FMS process, is classified, infrequently updated, and lacks transparency. This delays delivery of key capabilities to foreign partners and impacts joint security objectives. H.R. 4216 would require a regular review of the FMS-only list every three years to determine whether more items can be transferred through the faster Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) process.

• H.R. 4233 - ARMOR Act (Rep. Young Kim) The ARMOR Act addresses inefficiencies in the arms export review process for AUKUS-related defense cooperation. Currently, expedited licensing applies only within the geographic boundaries of AUKUS countries, limiting operational flexibility abroad. H.R. 4233 expands expedited review to include reexports, retransfers, and temporary imports of AUKUS-related defense items and services, regardless of location. It also exempts these transactions from the Congressional Notification Process and requires annual reporting to Congress on the expedited review process.

Congressman Baumgartner serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and on the Foreign Arms Sales Task Force