While the broad bipartisan support for AUKUS and the Australia-US alliance are unlikely to change with the new Congress, budget constraints and priorities will likely shift in ways that present both new challenges and new opportunities for Australia. What will a Republican-controlled House of Representatives mean for US defence spending? Will the election results change the US approach to China? How and where can Australia work with the United States on the next steps for AUKUS?

To discuss these issues, the USSC hosted an event with Louis Lauter, a former Legislative Affairs official with the US Department of Defense and Vice President of Beacon Global Strategies in conversation with United States Studies Centre CEO Dr Michael Green.