Press Releases

Washington, DC—August 12, 2024…Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) joined his fellow House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense (HAC-D) members on a bipartisan Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to New Zealand and Australia. The trip, led by HAC-D Chairman Ken Calvert (CA-41), provided an overview of operations in the Pacific region.The members engaged with senior leaders from Australia and New Zealand on national security issues and received briefings on current and future operations with a special focus on the threat from the Chinese Communist Party. The trip provided context on US national defense posture in the Pacific region, including work with international allies and partners on theater security issues.

Congressman Womack said, “Being on the ground allows my colleagues and I to gain a strategic understanding of threats abroad and how to strengthen America’s defense capabilities through our work on the Appropriations Committee. It’s our priority on the Defense Subcommittee to work with our allies in the Pacific region, specifically the AUKUS partnership, to counter the pacing threats of the Chinese Communist Party. I thank my friend, Chairman Calvert, for his steadfast leadership on this issue.”