[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 154 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S9878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT 110-22

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the 
following treaty transmitted to the Senate on September 26, 2008, by 
the President of the United States: Agreement on Conservation of 
Albatrosses and Petrels, Treaty Document No. 110-22. I further ask 
unanimous consent that the treaty be considered as having been read the 
first time; that it be referred, with accompanying papers, to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the 
President's message be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The message of the President is as follows:

To the Senate of the United States:
  With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to 
accession, I transmit herewith the Agreement on the Conservation of 
Albatrosses and Petrels, with Annexes. In addition, I transmit for the 
information of the Senate the report of the Department of State, which 
includes a detailed analysis of the Agreement.
  The Agreement, done at Canberra on June 19, 2001, and that entered 
into force on February 1, 2004, was adopted pursuant to the Convention 
on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (the 
``Convention''), done at Bonn on June 23, 1979. Although the United 
States is not a Party to the Convention, the United States may 
nonetheless become a Party to the Agreement. The Agreement's objective 
is to achieve and maintain a favorable conservation status for 
albatrosses and petrels.
  I believe the Agreement to be fully in the U.S. interest. Its 
provisions advance the U.S. goals of protecting albatrosses and 
petrels. As the Department of State's analysis explains, the Agreement 
is not self-executing and thus does not by itself give rise to 
domestically enforceable Federal law. Implementing legislation would be 
required, which will be submitted separately to the Congress for its 
consideration.
  I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to 
the Agreement and give its advice and consent to accession.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, September 26, 2008.

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