[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 202 (Tuesday, December 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H9826-H9828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REAFFIRMING THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
CANADA
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 357) reaffirming the strategic
partnership between the United States and Canada, recognizing bilateral
cooperation that advances United States national interests, and urging
increased bilateral cooperation on security, economic issues, and
energy, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 357
Whereas history, proximity, commerce, security, and shared
democratic values underpin a close relationship between the
United States and Canada;
Whereas this year marks 150 years of the Canadian
Confederation;
Whereas Americans and Canadians have the longest
international border and one of the largest commercial
relationships in the world, with $1.7 billion of trade and
nearly 400,000 people crossing the shared border daily;
Whereas Canada is the United States second-largest trading
partner and the largest export destination for United States
goods and services, and a majority of States of the United
States consider Canada their top export destination, with 15
States counting Canada as their top point of origin for
imports;
Whereas the United States and Canada cooperate extensively
within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and
through a ``Tri-Command Framework'' with United States
Northern Command (NORTHCOM), Canadian Joint Operations
Command (CJOC), and North American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD);
Whereas Canada has been a critical ally of the United
States in the global war on terror, deploying approximately
2,800 Canadian troops in the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from 2006-2011, the
fifth-largest national contingent in the ISAF;
Whereas 158 Canadian Armed Forces personnel bravely gave
their lives while participating in the ISAF in Afghanistan;
Whereas Canada has 830 Canadian Armed Forces personnel
currently serving in the Middle East in support of the United
States-led coalition to counter the Islamic State;
Whereas longstanding bilateral border security cooperation
between the United States and Canada protects vital United
States security interests while promoting trade and travel;
Whereas the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Beyond
the Border Initiative, United States-Canada NEXUS Trusted
Traveler Program, Border Enforcement Security Taskforces
(BEST), Shiprider Integrated Cross Border Maritime Law
Enforcement program, Cross Border Crime Forum, Integrated
Border Enforcement Teams, and United States preclearance
operations conducted at eight Canadian airports enhance
United States-Canadian border security efforts;
Whereas Canada is the world's sixth-largest petroleum
producer in the world and is the United States largest
foreign supplier of energy, including oil, uranium, natural
gas, and electricity;
Whereas Canada is the largest source of imported oil for
United States refineries and while the United States produces
90 percent of the natural gas it uses, of the remaining
natural gas that the United States imports, 97 percent comes
from Canada;
Whereas Canada is a net exporter of electricity to the
United States, with more than 30 active electricity
transmission connectors between the two countries;
Whereas Canada is a strategic leader in international
affairs, a member of the G7 and G20, and an important voice
for democratic principles, market-oriented policies, and
human rights in the United Nations, Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Organization of
American States; and
Whereas, on February 13, 2017, President Donald Trump and
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada held their first
official meeting and reaffirmed the importance of the United
States-Canadian relationship: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms its robust commitment to the critical
importance of the United States-Canadian partnership;
(2) supports stronger trade relations with the Government
of Canada and the creation of more American jobs;
(3) encourages greater security collaboration in the areas
of defense, border security, cyber-security, and Arctic
security; and
(4) supports an increased focus on energy security through
greater energy infrastructure integration, including oil and
natural gas and renewable sources, planning, and
coordination.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include any extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to recognize the leadership of Mr. Duncan,
who, until recently, served as the chairman of the Western Hemisphere
Subcommittee, and Mr. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member, in bringing
this important resolution forward.
I also want to recognize Mr. Huizenga, chairman of the Capital
Markets, Securities, and Investments Subcommittee of the Financial
Services Committee, who led the delegation this past fall with the
Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group in Windsor, Canada.
This resolution affirms the already strong partnership we enjoy with
our neighbors to the north, while recognizing that this bilateral
relationship has advanced U.S. national interests.
Canada and the U.S. share the longest international border of any
countries in the world. Canada is one of the largest trading partners
with the U.S., and our largest agricultural export market. U.S. exports
of goods and services to Canada supported 1.6 million jobs in the
United States last year.
In addition, the U.S. and Canada enjoy a very close and vital
security
[[Page H9827]]
relationship, which is seen most acutely in our close border security
collaboration, as well as in defense arrangements such as NORAD and our
shared NATO mutual security commitments.
Our two countries have an exceptionally close energy relationship.
Canada is our largest supplier of oil, natural gas, electricity, and
uranium. Our two countries collaborate on environmental concerns,
particularly with our shared responsibility for the Great Lakes, which
are the world's largest freshwater ecosystem and contain 20 percent of
the Earth's surface freshwater.
This relationship gives Congress the opportunity to reaffirm, through
this resolution, our important and close bilateral ties with Canada and
to renew our commitment to growing and improving that relationship to
the benefit of both countries.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this
measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, December 8, 2017.
Hon. Kevin Brady,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Brady: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to forgo a sequential
referral request on House Resolution 357, Reaffirming the
strategic partnership between the United States and Canada,
so that the resolution may proceed expeditiously to the House
floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future.
I will seek to place our letters on H. Res. 357 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate
your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward
to continuing to work together as this measure moves through
the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC, December 11, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce:, I am writing with respect to H. Res.
357, reaffirming the strategic partnership between the United
States and Canada, on which the Committee on Ways and Means
was granted an additional referral.
As a result of your having consulted with us on H. Res 357,
I agree to waive formal consideration of this resolution so
that it may move expeditiously to the floor. The Committee on
Ways and Means takes this action with the mutual
understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the
subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and
the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as
the resolution or similar legislation moves forward so that
we may address any remaining issues that fall within our
jurisdiction.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter
confirming this understanding, and would ask that a copy of
our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of H. Res
357.
Sincerely,
Kevin Brady,
Chairman.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I want to, first of all, thank the gentleman from South
Carolina (Mr. Duncan), who, until recently, was the chairman of the
Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. We will have him back on the committee
any time he wants to come. I thank him for authorizing this resolution
reaffirming the importance of the strategic partnership between the
United States and Canada.
I also appreciate the efforts of my good friend Mr. Meeks as the lead
Democratic sponsor, and again, I thank Chairman Royce for working to
bring this measure to the House floor.
{time} 1600
It is only appropriate, after spending time on the House floor
discussing the importance of the U.S. relationship of our neighbor to
the South, that we also focus on the strategic partnership between the
United States and our neighbor to the North, which, of course, is
Canada.
Canada is our second largest trading partner. Interesting, Canada is
our second largest trading partner--and Mexico is our third largest
trading partner--with about $1.7 billion in goods and services and
400,000 citizens in both countries crossing the border on a daily
basis. Think about that, 400,000 citizens from both countries cross the
U.S.-Canadian border on a daily basis.
The preclearance process makes it easy for Americans traveling to
Canada to clear U.S. customs while at a number of airports in Canada
and arrive back home almost as if they were on a domestic flight. Of
course, our relationship goes far beyond commerce and tourism, and I am
particularly pleased that H. Res. 357 takes note of the extensive
cooperation between the United States and Canada at NATO.
Canada has been and remains a key U.S. ally in several international
conflicts around the world, including in Afghanistan, where Canada
employed 2,800 troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance
Force from 2006 to 2011.
I also want to note the crucial role that Canada has played in
holding Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his lackeys accountable
through both multilateral action at the OAS--Organization of American
States--and targeted sanctions. Most recently, I was very pleased that
Canadian Foreign Minister Freeland hosted the Lima Group in Toronto in
October.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the U.S.-Canada relationship needs to be
rejuvenated, needs to not be taken for granted. We have to work at that
over time, and I think it is important that we all work at that.
As a global entity, the U.S.-Canada relationship should be a
relatively even one to manage. We don't want to have jobs at risk by
creating a trade war with Canada. Trade disputes between two big
neighbors are normal. We should not be escalating manageable
disagreements in a way that could hurt workers in both of our
countries.
So I believe that we should let all the leaders know that the House
is leading the way, and we hope that everyone follows Congress' lead
today in affirming the importance of the U.S.-Canada relationship.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan). He is the author of this
resolution.
Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and
the Foreign Affairs Committee for helping move this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, being the former chairman of the Western Hemisphere
Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I rise to
encourage the passage of H. Res. 357 to reaffirm the strategic
partnership between the United States and Canada.
As my good friend and former United States Ambassador to Canada,
David Wilkins taught me that Canada is one of our strongest allies and
one of our largest and best trading partners, and we are dependent on
cooperation between the nations to promote trade, security, and energy
issues.
It is imperative that we protect the close partnership with Canada
and the interdependent North American energy market. Enforcing the
strength of our relationship with Canada would expand the size of our
energy market, create more jobs, reduce energy cost for consumers, and
enhance North American energy security and interdependence. I remind
the administration that energy issues should be a top priority in any
NAFTA negotiation, as Canada is the largest supplier of energy to the
United States. Now, this includes oil, uranium, natural gas, and
electricity.
We share the longest undefended border, the largest bilateral trading
relationship, and one of the deepest security and energy partnerships
in the world. Today, 32 States consider Canada their primary trading
partner. The comprehensive trade and investment relationship, which the
United States has with Canada, supports millions of jobs in goods and
services on both sides of the border. The importance of this bilateral
relationship is critical for both countries.
Let me conclude by saying it is vital that we continue to look for
ways to strengthen our relationship with Canada, and I hope that my
colleagues will support this resolution to reaffirm the importance of
U.S.-Canada relations.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H9828]]
Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me say that this year marks the 150th
anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. So it is appropriate that we
are considering this important resolution on the House floor before
2017 comes to a close.
As was said by all the other Members, the U.S. and Canada share so
much more than just our extensive borders and daily commerce. We share
people-to-people ties that run generations deep and continue on a daily
basis.
Today, by passing H. Res. 357, Congress has an opportunity to show
our commitment to and gratitude for the U.S.-Canada relationship. We
also have an opportunity to show the world how two nations can get
along with miles and miles of continuous borders.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important
resolution. I again thank Chairman Royce and the former chairman of the
Western Hemisphere Subcommittee for their work.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to once again thank Representative Duncan and Mr.
Meeks and Mr. Huizenga and Mr. Engel for their commitment to the U.S.-
Canada relationship and for bringing this important resolution forward.
This resolution affirms the already strong partnership that we enjoy
with our neighbors to the North while recognizing that this bilateral
relationship has advanced our national interests.
In addition to working together on trade, on border security, on
energy, Canada is also a valuable partner in security. As my colleagues
know, Canada is a founding member of NATO and leads a NATO battalion in
Latvia--I happen to have seen that battalion recently in Latvia--while
maintaining 200 Canadian military trainers in Ukraine.
Our shared values and proximity have rendered Canada one of our most
important allies, and this resolution allows this body to stand
together in affirming that relationship. I urge my colleagues to
support this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Poe of Texas). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 357, as
amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________