[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 767 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 767

   Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives relating to 
    increased transparency in the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific 
          Partnership (TPP) Agreement, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 2012

Mr. Jones submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives relating to 
    increased transparency in the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific 
          Partnership (TPP) Agreement, and for other purposes.

Whereas government officials from the United States and eight Pacific Rim 
        nations--Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, 
        Singapore, and Vietnam-- have been negotiating for over three years to 
        sign a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement;
Whereas Canada and Mexico joined the negotiations in June 2012;
Whereas Members of Congress, the American public, and the press have been denied 
        access to the negotiations and to the draft text of this lengthy 
        international agreement;
Whereas press reports suggest that the TPP would compromise United States 
        sovereignty by imposing a regime of global governance on the United 
        States regarding domestic land use; control of United States natural 
        resources and property rights; immigration and visa rights; service 
        sector regulation; patents and copyrights; and food and product 
        standards and labeling;
Whereas leaked text of the draft agreement reveals that the TPP would submit the 
        United States to the jurisdiction of foreign tribunals administered by 
        the United Nations and the World Bank that would be empowered to order 
        unlimited payment of United States taxpayer dollars to foreign firms who 
        claim that Federal, State, or local governments are not delivering on 
        the new privileges and rights TPP would grant to them;
Whereas leaked TPP text suggests foreign investors and firms operating within 
        the United States would be given greater substantive and procedural 
        rights than United States citizens and firms are provided under the 
        United States Constitution as interpreted by the United States Supreme 
        Court;
Whereas press reports indicate the TPP would ban ``buy American'' and ``buy 
        local'' preferences in Federal Government procurement;
Whereas leaked TPP text reveals the TPP would include special protections and 
        incentives that promote the offshoring of United States jobs and 
        investment;
Whereas the TPP may require the United States to import meat and other foods 
        that do not meet United States safety standards, putting United States 
        producers at a disadvantage and United States consumers' health at risk;
Whereas under the terms of the draft agreement, failure by the Federal, State, 
        or local governments to conform United States domestic laws, 
        regulations, and administrative procedures to this regime would subject 
        the United States Government to trade sanctions imposed until United 
        States laws are altered to conform with the TPP requirements;
Whereas the terms of this international regime of governance could only be 
        altered by consensus of all signatory governments and the TPP has no 
        expiration date, meaning the TPP would lock in expansive international 
        preemption of United States laws and policies; and
Whereas every Pacific Rim nation, including China and Russia, could eventually 
        be included in the TPP, which is being designed as a ``docking'' 
        agreement to which additional countries may join: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) Members of Congress should be allowed to observe Trans-
        Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations on behalf of 
        the American people they represent;
            (2) Members of Congress, the American public, and the press 
        should be allowed access to the draft text of the agreement and 
        to the text of United States negotiating proposals;
            (3) any final TPP agreement should not undermine United 
        States sovereignty by submitting the United States, its people, 
        or its businesses to the jurisdiction of foreign tribunals;
            (4) any final TPP agreement should not increase United 
        States unemployment or the United States trade deficit; and
            (5) any final TPP agreement that is not a treaty approved 
        by two-thirds of the Senate under Article II, section 2, clause 
        2 of the Constitution does not have the force of law.
                                 <all>