[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 591 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 591

 Reaffirming the deep and steadfast partnership between, and the ties 
  that bind, the United States and Canada in support of economic and 
                           national security.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 19, 2024

Mr. Cramer (for himself, Mr. King, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Boozman, 
Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Fetterman, and Mr. Ricketts) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Reaffirming the deep and steadfast partnership between, and the ties 
  that bind, the United States and Canada in support of economic and 
                           national security.

Whereas Members of the Senate understand the critical importance of further 
        strengthening and deepening the alliances of the United States, and are 
        called upon not only to protect, but to advance the partnerships of the 
        United States;
Whereas the United States enjoys the great fortune of sharing a border with 
        Canada, the closest ally of the United States, while countries around 
        the world are facing existential threats from their neighbors;
Whereas, in June 2023, the bipartisan and bicameral American Canadian Economy 
        and Security Caucus was established in the Senate and the House of 
        Representatives, presenting an opportunity to fortify and advance the 
        indispensable economic and security partnership between the United 
        States and Canada;
Whereas the Governments of the United States and Canada can reinforce shared 
        interests in the 4 critical areas of economic security, sustainability, 
        energy, and critical mineral security, national security, and global 
        security;
Whereas the prosperity of citizens of the United States and Canada depends on 
        the mutually beneficial economic relationship and resilient and 
        integrated supply chains of the United States and Canada;
Whereas the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican 
        States, and Canada, done at Buenos Aires November 30, 2018 (commonly 
        known as the ``United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement''), forms the 
        foundation of the economic competitiveness of the United States and 
        Canada;
Whereas the Governments of the United States and Canada--

    (1) share one of the largest trading relationships in the world, with 
approximately $1,300,000,000,000 in bilateral trade in goods and services 
in 2022, supporting more than 7,500,000 jobs in the United States; and

    (2) understand the importance of secure and resilient supply chains, 
and have established formal mechanisms to further strengthen the economic 
integration between the United States and Canada so that the United States 
and Canada can withstand major crises;

Whereas Canada is the largest single export market for the United States and was 
        the primary customer for 33 of 50 States in 2022;
Whereas, in 2022, more than 300 congressional districts in the United States 
        each exported more than $250,000,000 in goods to Canada, and more than 
        100 districts each exported more than $1,000,000,000 in goods to Canada;
Whereas trade between the United States and Canada is built on long-standing 
        binational supply chains, whereby roughly 80 percent of Canadian goods 
        exports to the United States are incorporated into United States supply 
        chains and Canadian goods sold to the United States contain on average 
        25 percent content produced in the United States;
Whereas Canada buys more than $22,000,000,000 worth of automotive parts from the 
        United States each year, and each assembled vehicle exported to the 
        United States from Canada contains approximately 50 percent of content 
        originating from the United States;
Whereas the United States and Canada--

    (1) are global leaders in science, technology, and innovation, and can 
secure the future of North America as the most competitive region in the 
world;

    (2) are working together to deepen cooperation in developing and 
protecting emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and 
quantum science; and

    (3) are founding members of the Global Partnership on Artificial 
Intelligence, with Canada hosting the inaugural plenary in December 2020;

Whereas Canada--

    (1) is the fourth largest petroleum producer in the world and is the 
largest foreign supplier of energy to the United States, including oil, 
uranium, natural gas, and electricity; and

    (2) is a reliable source of energy and resources for the United States, 
producing more than 60 minerals and metals, and is a leading global 
producer of 19 critical minerals on the List of Critical Minerals published 
by the United States Geological Survey;

Whereas the United States and Canada--

    (1) have a deeply interconnected electricity sector, with more than 35 
active electricity transmission connections between the two countries, many 
of which enable bidirectional flows of electricity, helping to ensure the 
security and reliability of the North American grid;

    (2) are committed to closely collaborating to achieve shared 
sustainability objectives, including advancements in energy efficiency and 
the reduction of emissions to support a sustainable future;

    (3) have committed to work together to protect biodiverse areas that 
span the shared border between the United States and Canada, including in 
collaboration with Indigenous and Tribal partners, benefitting shared 
species like migratory birds;

    (4) have an appreciation for environmental stewardship and abide by 
some of the highest production standards in the world, reducing global 
emissions through the production of goods in the United States and Canada; 
and

    (5) have jointly collaborated for more than 100 years under the Treaty 
Relating to the Boundary Waters and Questions Arising Along the Boundary 
Between the United States and Canada, done at Washington January 11, 1909 
(36 Stat. 2448; TS 548) (commonly known as the `Boundary Waters Treaty of 
1909') to manage and conserve shared waters for the benefit of both 
countries, including more than 50 years under the Agreement between Canada 
and the United States of America on Great Lakes Water Quality, done at 
Ottawa November 22, 1978;

Whereas the United States and Canada--

    (1) share 3 oceans and the longest border in the world;

    (2) are committed to jointly protecting the security of the citizens of 
the United States and Canada, because the Governments of the United States 
and Canada understand that a threat to the security of one country is a 
threat to the security of both countries;

    (3) recognize that collective security is a shared responsibility, and 
are committed to expanding cooperation on continental defense and in the 
Arctic, including by increasing investments in continental defense and 
modernizing the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the only 
binational military command in the world;

    (4) share the desire for a peaceful, stable, and predictable Arctic 
region, including for the benefit of Arctic and Northern peoples and 
communities;

    (5) cooperate to keep the border open to legitimate trade and travel 
but closed to terrorists, criminals, and threats to the health and safety 
of citizens;

    (6) work together to secure the border shared by the United States and 
Canada through the Cross-Border Crime Forum, Integrated Border Enforcement 
Teams, the Beyond the Border Initiative, NEXUS, the Border Enforcement 
Security Task Force, shiprider agreements, the Integrated Cross Border 
Maritime Law Enforcement Operations, and United States preclearance 
operations conducted at Canadian airports, all of which enhance joint 
security efforts;

    (7) have an Integrated Border Enforcement Charter that allows the 
border enforcement agencies of the United States and Canada to jointly 
identify national security threats, disrupt organized criminal activities, 
seize drugs and weapons, and intercept criminal networks trying to smuggle 
people across the border; and

    (8) safely oversee the movement of more than 400,000 people every day 
and more than $2,600,000,000 worth of goods and services crossed the border 
each day;

Whereas the United States and Canada--

    (1) are the only 2 countries in the world that are have borders along 
the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans;

    (2) are unequivocally committed to playing a leadership role in 
protecting global security and promoting democracy around the world;

    (3) work together to advance democratic principles, human rights, and 
free trade policies through the G7, the G20, the United Nations, the 
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Organisation for 
Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, and 
the Organization of American States;

    (4) cooperate extensively through a ``Tri-Command Framework'' comprised 
of the United States Northern Command, the Canadian Joint Operations 
Command, and the North American Aerospace Defense Command;

    (5) work together as the only North American members of the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to ensure peace and security in the 
transatlantic region;

    (6) support deterrence and defense efforts by NATO and other European 
Allies through roles as the Framework Nations for the NATO brigades in 
Latvia and Poland; and

    (7) remain steadfast in support for Ukraine, working together to 
provide critical military assistance and training to strengthen the 
capacity of Ukraine to withstand aggression by the Russian Federation;

Whereas Canada has been a committed ally in upholding the rules-based 
        international order by promoting peace, resilience, and security in the 
        Indo-Pacific region through an augmented and diversified military 
        presence;
Whereas Canada has been a reliable and engaged partner of the United States in 
        the Indo-Pacific by collaborating extensively with United States Indo-
        Pacific Command, including through bilateral and multilateral exercises, 
        regional security cooperation and defense engagements, involvement in 
        regional defense forums, and ultimately, through unwavering support of a 
        free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region; and
Whereas history, geography, commerce, security, and shared democratic values 
        underpin a close relationship between the United States and Canada: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes that the relationship between the United 
        States and Canada is an essential strategic asset to the United 
        States and United States citizens, and is critical to promoting 
        peace, expanding global economic opportunity, and being 
        prepared to respond to unforeseen events;
            (2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
        maintain and grow the critical partnership between the United 
        States and Canada;
            (3) recognizes that the security of one country is 
        dependent on the security of the other, and welcomes greater 
        collaboration in the areas of defense, cyber and technology 
        security, and Arctic security;
            (4) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
        bilateral and international alliance between the United States 
        and Canada, which allows the United States and Canada to face 
        common threats together and uphold common values, including 
        democracy, human rights, and the rule of law;
            (5) recognizes the strategic importance of one the most 
        secure borders in the world, the comanagement of which 
        facilitates trade and serves as a trusted corridor for the 
        supply chains of the United States and Canada;
            (6) recognizes that bolstering the supply chains of the 
        United States and Canada will make each such country more 
        competitive and more resilient in the face of economic 
        aggression from hostile counties;
            (7) supports an increased focus on energy security through 
        greater cross-border energy infrastructure, including 
        infrastructure for oil, natural gas, nuclear and renewable 
        energy, and resilient electricity transmission, and through 
        diversifying critical minerals supply chains;
            (8) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
        strengthen cooperation on shared climate and environmental and 
        sustainability priorities; and
            (9) is fully committed to the creation of more well-paying 
        jobs in the United States through continued and increased trade 
        and investment with Canada.
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