[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 29, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4235-S4236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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      SENATE RESOLUTION 218--ENCOURAGING THE UNITED STATES TRADE 
 REPRESENTATIVE TO ESTABLISH AND ARTICULATE A STRATEGY FOR INITIATING 
 NEGOTIATIONS FOR A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND 
               THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS

  Mr. LUGAR (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance:

                              S. Res. 218

       Whereas the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 
     was established in 1967, with Indonesia, Malaysia, the 
     Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand being original members;
       Whereas ASEAN membership has now expanded and includes 10 
     countries;
       Whereas the United States supports the centrality of ASEAN 
     within East Asia;
       Whereas the United States was the first country to appoint 
     an Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 
     and has now appointed a resident Ambassador to the ASEAN 
     Secretariat;
       Whereas ASEAN significantly contributes to regional 
     stability in East Asia;
       Whereas over 40,000 students from ASEAN are studying in the 
     United States and an increasing number of Americans are 
     studying in ASEAN countries;
       Whereas ASEAN partners with the United States Government to 
     combat global terror;
       Whereas the United States acceded to the Treaty of Amity 
     and Cooperation in 2009;
       Whereas ASEAN constitutes the fourth largest market for 
     United States exports and, according to Department of 
     Commerce figures, United States exports to ASEAN support over 
     450,000 jobs in the United States;
       Whereas ASEAN has a population of approximately 600,000,000 
     persons;
       Whereas two-way, United States-ASEAN trade totals 
     approximately $180,000,000,000 annually;
       Whereas the nations of ASEAN are working toward economic 
     integration;
       Whereas ASEAN has entered into free trade agreements with 
     India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, 
     covering nearly 50 percent of the world's population; and
       Whereas the United States and ASEAN signed a Trade and 
     Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) over five years ago, 
     and the United States and ASEAN continue to work on trade-
     related initiatives: Now, therefore, be it

[[Page S4236]]

       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the United States Trade Representative, in consultation 
     with other appropriate Federal agencies and interested 
     stakeholders, should establish and articulate a strategy for 
     initiating negotiations for a free trade agreement between 
     the United States and ASEAN; and
       (2) at the time of free trade agreement negotiations, any 
     pending bilateral issues between the United States and Burma, 
     including economic sanctions, investment prohibition, travel 
     restrictions or otherwise, should not deter the United States 
     from engaging with other ASEAN nations regarding a potential 
     free trade agreement, nor should the United States encourage 
     trade with Burma, absent significant reforms within that 
     country.

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