[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 15, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4540-S4541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. RES. 134

  Mr. LEE. Mr. President, for more than 100 years, throughout times of 
change, tumult, and uncertainty, there has been a constant: the special 
relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.
  The UK has been one of our staunchest and most loyal allies. We have 
stood beside each other through two World Wars and the Cold War. In the 
21st century, the United States and the United Kingdom have become even 
stronger friends and partners, both in the fight against global 
terrorism and for freedom, peace, and prosperity.
  Now an opportunity lies before us to strengthen the relationship more 
than ever by securing a free-trade agreement between our two nations, 
which is the purpose of the resolution before us today. The trading 
relationship between our countries is already really strong. For 
hundreds of years, it has been a force for economic prosperity and 
security for us both.
  In just 2019, the total trade in goods and services between our two 
countries totaled $273 billion, and the United Kingdom was the seventh 
largest trading partner of the United States in goods. Figures from 
that same year show that U.S. trade with the United Kingdom resulted in 
a $21.8 billion trade surplus.
  The United States and the United Kingdom, in fact, share the single 
largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world. And 
now, with the UK's newfound ability to negotiate independent free-trade 
deals, we have the opportunity to grow that relationship even more.
  A free-trade agreement would allow even more goods and services to 
flow even more easily between our two countries. It would allow for 
expanded commercial partnerships and greater investments in emerging 
industries. It would serve as an even greater engine of prosperity and 
economic liberty on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

[[Page S4541]]

  This is a no-brainer, and it would be a tremendous asset in the midst 
of the economic and geopolitical challenges we face today. The pandemic 
and supply chain turmoil have proven that friends are invaluable in a 
pinch. While many global relationships have been unsteady and many 
governments don't know what their future trading relationships will 
look like, the United Kingdom has been a stalwart and secure partner 
with the United States.
  Furthermore, it could not be a better move in the age of great power 
competition with China. We will not beat China by trying to be like 
China in imposing centralized command-and-control grips on the economy 
that will strangle trade and trample free enterprise. Instead, we 
should do what we have always done best: prioritize free, open, and 
fair commerce with friendly nations, as the G7 this past weekend 
confirmed.
  At the conclusion of the summit, the group, as a whole, agreed to 
``secure our future prosperity by championing freer, fairer trade 
within a reformed trading system.'' And the United States and the 
United Kingdom signed a New Atlantic Charter in which both countries 
committed to take actions ``enabling open and fair trade between 
nations.''
  Securing a mutually beneficial trade agreement with one of our oldest 
and closest allies would be in the best interest of us all. As 
President Biden himself recently said: ``America's alliances are our 
greatest asset, and leading with diplomacy means standing shoulder-to-
shoulder with our allies and key partners once again.''
  On this point, I could not agree with President Biden more. Congress 
can seize this opportunity by supporting the resolution before us 
today. It is a simple, straightforward resolution declaring the sense 
of the Senate that the United States has and should have a close and 
mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United Kingdom without 
interruption and that the President, with the support of Congress, 
should lay the groundwork for a future trade agreement between the 
United States and the United Kingdom.

  Borrowing a phrase from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, after his first 
face-to-face meeting with President Biden at the summit this past 
weekend, the United States-United Kingdom relationship is 
``indestructible.'' No two nations have worked more closely together. 
No two peoples have done more to expand and defend liberty or to 
achieve peace and prosperity.
  Throughout history, this partnership has steadied the world through 
some of its greatest perils. It can continue to do so today if only we 
let it. The American and British peoples have the opportunity to once 
again join forces and emerge from the challenges we face stronger than 
ever for the benefit of our countries and nations across the globe. To 
that end, I urge each of my colleagues to support this resolution.
  And I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be discharged 
from further consideration, and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 134. 
I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed 
to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon 
the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, first, this 
resolution--and I am just going to make a few key points here--is on 
the trade agreement with the UK, and it is a question of international 
trade, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee.
  The committee has not been consulted on the resolution so Senators 
have not had adequate time to consider it. Needless to say, the 
prospect of reshaping the American economy with sweeping trade deals is 
not something that should just rocket past the committee of 
jurisdiction.
  Second, I have serious concerns about blessing a potential trade 
agreement with the United Kingdom when the contents of such an 
agreement are still unknown. I stated a number of times that there are 
serious issues that need consideration with respect to our economic 
relationship with the United Kingdom. That cannot happen if the debates 
play out in a slapdash process on the floor of the Senate.
  For example, the United Kingdom has not only proposed but implemented 
a discriminatory digital service tax since entering negotiations with 
the United States. What they are doing is opportunistically looting 
American technology companies before these measures are shut down by an 
FTA or another agreement. The UK is also considering other 
discriminatory policies.
  The UK must commit to abandoning these unfair policies, which are 
serious barriers to trade, a detriment to the special relationship, 
harmful to American workers, as a precondition of honest and worthwhile 
negotiations.
  Otherwise, if Senators are going to rush to hand out big promises on 
trade talks, they risk surrendering America's negotiating position on 
these key issues without getting anything in return.
  So I don't see the wisdom in undermining good-paying American jobs 
and American businesses with a trading partner that has thus far seen 
no reason to back away from discriminatory measures. For those reasons, 
I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I appreciate the comments and the insight 
provided by my friend and colleague, the distinguished Senator from 
Oregon.
  As to the point regarding our relative negotiating power and the 
wisdom of approaching this task right now, it is important to remember 
this resolution doesn't purport to offer the details of any such deal. 
It calls for a free-trade agreement. There is nothing surrendered by 
that. There is, however, a lot to be gained by that in signaling that 
we want to continue to have an open, free, and fair relationship with 
the United Kingdom.
  As to the process concerns articulated by my friend and colleague, 
while he has expressed some concerns about the process, I must provide 
some evidence to the contrary.
  Over the past year, my staff has communicated with the Senate Finance 
Committee staff, staff on both sides of the aisle, upward of half a 
dozen times. They have also pitched changes to assuage concerns about 
language multiple times but never received any definitive responses.
  Furthermore, I have worked with colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle to craft almost identical draft language on United States-United 
Kingdom trade that was included in S. Res. 117, on the Good Friday 
Agreement, which passed before this body without objection. There is no 
reason why we can't reach a similar compromise on this legislation, and 
I stand ready and willing to work with my colleague from Oregon to do 
so
  (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)

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