[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 85 (Monday, May 17, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2550-S2552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GOOD FRIDAY
AGREEMENT, OR THE BELFAST AGREEMENT, AND SUBSEQUENT AGREEMENTS AND
ARRANGEMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION TO SUPPORT PEACE ON THE ISLAND OF
IRELAND
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 20, S.
Res. 117.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 117) expressing support for the full
implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, or the Belfast
Agreement, and subsequent agreements and arrangements for
implementation to support peace on the island of Ireland.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Relations with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause
and insert the part printed in italic, and with an amendment to strike
the preamble and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
Whereas, on April 10, 1998, the Government of Ireland and
the Government of the United Kingdom signed the Good Friday
Agreement, also known as the ``Belfast Agreement'';
Whereas the goals of the Good Friday Agreement were to
bring a new era of devolved government and democracy to
Northern Ireland, end violence, and ensure peace for the
people of the island of Ireland;
Whereas the successful negotiation of the Good Friday
Agreement stands as a historic and groundbreaking success
that has proven critical to the decades of relative peace
that have followed;
Whereas the return to power sharing in 2020 after the
collapse of power-sharing institutions in 2017 creates new
opportunities for strengthening peace and reconciliation in
Northern Ireland;
Whereas the agreement between the United Kingdom and the
European Union on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from
the European Union, and the protocol to that agreement on
Northern Ireland preserving an open border on the island of
Ireland (in this preamble referred to as the ``Northern
Ireland Protocol''), are intended to protect the peace forged
under the Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas, despite the historic progress of the Good Friday
Agreement and subsequent agreements, including the Stormont
House Agreement agreed to in December 2014, important issues
remain unresolved in Northern Ireland, including the passage
of a Bill of Rights, securing justice for all victims of
violence, including violence by state and non-state actors,
and reducing sectarian divisions and promoting
reconciliation;
Whereas section 6 of the Good Friday Agreement (``Rights,
Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity'') recognizes ``the
importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in
relation to linguistic diversity'' as part of ``the cultural
wealth of the island of Ireland'' and declares the Government
of the United Kingdom will seek ways to encourage the use of
and education in the Irish language and provide opportunities
for Irish language arts;
Whereas the reintroduction of barriers, checkpoints, or
personnel on the island of Ireland, also known as a ``hard
border'', including through the invocation of Article 16 of
the
[[Page S2551]]
Northern Ireland Protocol, would threaten the successes of
the Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas the United States Congress played a prominent role
in support of negotiations of the Good Friday Agreement and
has taken a leading role in promoting peace on the island of
Ireland more broadly; and
Whereas Congress greatly values the close relationships the
United States shares with both the United Kingdom and Ireland
and stands steadfastly committed to supporting the peaceful
resolution of any and all political challenges in Northern
Ireland: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
That the Senate--
(1) urges the United Kingdom and the European Union to
support peace on the island of Ireland and the principles,
objectives, and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement,
also known as the ``Belfast Agreement'';
(2) expresses support for the full implementation of the
Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements, including
the Stormont House Agreement agreed to in December 2014, as
well as the protocol on Northern Ireland to the agreement on
the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union
(in this resolution referred to as the ``Northern Ireland
Protocol'');
(3) congratulates all parties in Northern Ireland for the
return in January 2020 to a power-sharing agreement;
(4) urges all parties in Northern Ireland to work
collectively to ensure the implementation of all commitments
of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements so
that all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement can
operate successfully and sustainably and that ongoing
political challenges can be overcome;
(5) calls for continuing attention and action to resolve
the injustices of past violence, including violence by state
and non-state actors;
(6) supports the passage of a Bill of Rights for Northern
Ireland and the right of all the people on the island of
Ireland to self-determine their future as provided for in the
Good Friday Agreement;
(7) encourages renewed attention to educational and
cultural efforts that will ensure the rich language,
literature, and arts of Northern Ireland endure and are not
diminished;
(8) expresses support for the Northern Ireland Protocol and
its full implementation, which ensures through international
agreement that no ``hard border'' will be reintroduced on the
island of Ireland; and
(9) will insist that any new or amended trade agreements
and other bilateral agreements between the Government of the
United States and the Government of the United Kingdom take
into account, as relevant, conditions requiring that
obligations under the Good Friday Agreement be met.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I further ask that the Lee amendment to the
committee-reported amendment to the resolution be considered and agreed
to; the committee-reported amendment, as amended, be agreed to; the
resolution, as amended, be agreed to; that the Lee amendment to the
committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the
committee-reported amendment, as amended, be agreed to; that the
preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider
be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action
or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 1496) was agreed to, as follows
(Purpose: To improve the resolution)
On page 8, strike lines 19 through 25 and insert the
following:
(9) greatly values the close relationships the United
States shares with both the United Kingdom and the Republic
of Ireland; and
(10) will take into account, as relevant, conditions
requiring that obligations under the Good Friday Agreement be
met as the United States seeks to negotiate a mutually
advantageous and comprehensive trade agreement between the
United States and the United Kingdom.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute, as
amended, was agreed to.
The resolution (S. Res. 117), as amended, was agreed to.
The amendment (No. 1497) was agreed to, as follows
(Purpose: To amend the preamble)
Beginning in the ninth whereas clause of the preamble,
strike the ``and'' at the end and all that follows through
``Northern Ireland'' in the tenth whereas clause of the
preamble, and insert the following:
Whereas the United States Congress stands steadfastly
committed to supporting the peaceful resolution of any and
all political challenges in Northern Ireland; and
Whereas the United States has a Special Relationship with
the United Kingdom, including partnership on trade and
economic issues
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble in the nature of a
substitute, as amended, was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows
S. Res. 117
Whereas, on April 10, 1998, the Government of Ireland and
the Government of the United Kingdom signed the Good Friday
Agreement, also known as the ``Belfast Agreement'';
Whereas the goals of the Good Friday Agreement were to
bring a new era of devolved government and democracy to
Northern Ireland, end violence, and ensure peace for the
people of the island of Ireland;
Whereas the successful negotiation of the Good Friday
Agreement stands as a historic and groundbreaking success
that has proven critical to the decades of relative peace
that have followed;
Whereas the return to power sharing in 2020 after the
collapse of power-sharing institutions in 2017 creates new
opportunities for strengthening peace and reconciliation in
Northern Ireland;
Whereas the agreement between the United Kingdom and the
European Union on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from
the European Union, and the protocol to that agreement on
Northern Ireland preserving an open border on the island of
Ireland (in this preamble referred to as the ``Northern
Ireland Protocol''), are intended to protect the peace forged
under the Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas, despite the historic progress of the Good Friday
Agreement and subsequent agreements, including the Stormont
House Agreement agreed to in December 2014, important issues
remain unresolved in Northern Ireland, including the passage
of a Bill of Rights, securing justice for all victims of
violence, including violence by state and non-state actors,
and reducing sectarian divisions and promoting
reconciliation;
Whereas section 6 of the Good Friday Agreement (``Rights,
Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity'') recognizes ``the
importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in
relation to linguistic diversity'' as part of ``the cultural
wealth of the island of Ireland'' and declares the Government
of the United Kingdom will seek ways to encourage the use of
and education in the Irish language and provide opportunities
for Irish language arts;
Whereas the reintroduction of barriers, checkpoints, or
personnel on the island of Ireland, also known as a ``hard
border'', including through the invocation of Article 16 of
the Northern Ireland Protocol, would threaten the successes
of the Good Friday Agreement;
Whereas the United States Congress played a prominent role
in support of negotiations of the Good Friday Agreement and
has taken a leading role in promoting peace on the island of
Ireland more broadly;
Whereas the United States Congress stands steadfastly
committed to supporting the peaceful resolution of any and
all political challenges in Northern Ireland; and
Whereas the United States has a Special Relationship with
the United Kingdom, including partnership on trade and
economic issues: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) urges the United Kingdom and the European Union to
support peace on the island of Ireland and the principles,
objectives, and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement,
also known as the ``Belfast Agreement'';
(2) expresses support for the full implementation of the
Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements, including
the Stormont House Agreement agreed to in December 2014, as
well as the protocol on Northern Ireland to the agreement on
the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union
(in this resolution referred to as the ``Northern Ireland
Protocol'');
(3) congratulates all parties in Northern Ireland for the
return in January 2020 to a power-sharing agreement;
(4) urges all parties in Northern Ireland to work
collectively to ensure the implementation of all commitments
of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements so
that all of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement can
operate successfully and sustainably and that ongoing
political challenges can be overcome;
(5) calls for continuing attention and action to resolve
the injustices of past violence, including violence by state
and non-state actors;
(6) supports the passage of a Bill of Rights for Northern
Ireland and the right of all the people on the island of
Ireland to self-determine their future as provided for in the
Good Friday Agreement;
(7) encourages renewed attention to educational and
cultural efforts that will ensure the rich language,
literature, and arts of Northern Ireland endure and are not
diminished;
(8) expresses support for the Northern Ireland Protocol and
its full implementation, which ensures through international
agreement that no ``hard border'' will be reintroduced on the
island of Ireland; and
(9) greatly values the close relationships the United
States shares with both the United Kingdom and the Republic
of Ireland; and
(10) will take into account, as relevant, conditions
requiring that obligations under the Good Friday Agreement be
met as the United States seeks to negotiate a mutually
advantageous and comprehensive trade agreement between the
United States and the United Kingdom.
[[Page S2552]]
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