[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 25, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2698-S2699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD WORK WITH
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM TO CONCLUDE NEGOTIATIONS FOR A
COMPREHENSIVE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE
UNITED KINGDOM
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask
unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be discharged from
further consideration and the Senate proceed to S. Res. 134.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 134) expressing the sense of the
Senate that the President should work with the Government of
the United Kingdom to conclude negotiations for a
comprehensive free trade agreement between the United States
and the United Kingdom.
There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the
Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Lee
substitute amendment to the resolution be considered and agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 5045), in the nature of a substitute, was agreed
to, as follows:
(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the
following: ``That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the United States should strengthen its close and
mutually beneficial trading and economic partnership with the
United Kingdom that takes into account, as relevant,
conditions requiring that obligations under the Good Friday
Agreement be met;
(2) the United States should strengthen its close and
mutually beneficial trading and economic partnership with the
European Union by working to conclude negotiations for a
comprehensive trade agreement;
(3) the President, in consultation with Congress, should
work to conclude negotiations for such comprehensive trade
agreements contingent upon an agreement between the European
Union and the United Kingdom that fully protects and
preserves the Good Friday Agreement consistent with the
sentiments expressed by the Senate in S. Res. 117 (117th
Congress); and
(4) the President, in consultation with Congress, should
strive to reach mutually advantageous resolutions of
commercial disagreements between the United States and the
United Kingdom, including ending the Digital Services Tax on
United States businesses and ensuring a satisfactory final
resolution to the World Trade Organization large civil
aircraft dispute.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the
resolution, as amended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate on the resolution?
Hearing none, the question is on adoption of the resolution, as
amended.
The resolution (S. Res. 134), as amended, was agreed to.
[[Page S2699]]
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Lee
amendment to the preamble be considered and agreed to; the preamble, as
amended, be agreed to, the Lee amendment to the title be considered and
agreed to, the title, as amended, be agreed to, and the motions to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 5046) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the preamble)
Strike the preamble and insert the following:
Whereas, on March 5, 1946, Sir Winston Churchill delivered
the Iron Curtain speech in Fulton, Missouri, solidifying the
``Special Relationship'' between the United States and the
United Kingdom;
Whereas, since the end of World War II, the United States
and the United Kingdom have been beacons of freedom to the
world, standing together in the fight against tyranny;
Whereas the Special Relationship between the United States
and the United Kingdom has driven economic prosperity and
security cooperation in both nations for more than 70 years;
Whereas, according to ``Sterling Assets,'' a report from
the Confederation of British Industry, the United States and
the United Kingdom share the world's largest bilateral trade
and investment relationship;
Whereas, while the United States and the United Kingdom
already share a robust economic partnership and strong labor
ties, there remain clear opportunities for both countries to
further strengthen those ties;
Whereas the United States Trade Representative and United
Kingdom Department for International Trade have engaged in
substantive negotiations towards the conclusion of a
comprehensive trade agreement since May 2020;
Whereas the United States seeks to support higher-paying
jobs in the United States and to grow the United States
economy by improving United States opportunities for trade
and investment with the European Union;
Whereas the economic relationship of the United States and
the European Union is the largest and most complex in the
world, with over $1,100,000,000,000 in annual two-way trade;
Whereas the United States Trade Representative and the
European Union have engaged in substantive negotiations
toward the conclusion of a trade agreement;
Whereas the United States has historically acted as a
guarantor of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, an agreement
between the British and Irish governments, designed to
protect peace in Northern Ireland by avoiding a hard border
on the island of Ireland;
Whereas Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom,
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen,
and President of the European Council Charles Michel signed
the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement on January 24, 2020;
Whereas as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, in
order to protect the Good Friday Agreement in the aftermath
of the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union,
the two parties agreed to the Northern Ireland Protocol; and
Whereas the constitutional power of making trade agreements
with foreign nations rests with Congress: Now, therefore, be
it
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The title amendment (No. 5047) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the title)
Amend the title so as to read: ``A resolution expressing
the sense of the Senate that the President should work with
the Government of the United Kingdom to conclude negotiations
for a comprehensive trade agreement between the United States
and the United Kingdom that the President should work with
the President of the European Commission to conclude
negotiations for a comprehensive trade agreement between the
United States and the European Union.''.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows:
S. Res. 134
Whereas, on March 5, 1946, Sir Winston Churchill delivered
the Iron Curtain speech in Fulton, Missouri, solidifying the
``Special Relationship'' between the United States and the
United Kingdom;
Whereas, since the end of World War II, the United States
and the United Kingdom have been beacons of freedom to the
world, standing together in the fight against tyranny;
Whereas the Special Relationship between the United States
and the United Kingdom has driven economic prosperity and
security cooperation in both nations for more than 70 years;
Whereas, according to ``Sterling Assets,'' a report from
the Confederation of British Industry, the United States and
the United Kingdom share the world's largest bilateral trade
and investment relationship;
Whereas, while the United States and the United Kingdom
already share a robust economic partnership and strong labor
ties, there remain clear opportunities for both countries to
further strengthen those ties;
Whereas the United States Trade Representative and United
Kingdom Department for International Trade have engaged in
substantive negotiations towards the conclusion of a
comprehensive trade agreement since May 2020;
Whereas the United States seeks to support higher-paying
jobs in the United States and to grow the United States
economy by improving United States opportunities for trade
and investment with the European Union;
Whereas the economic relationship of the United States and
the European Union is the largest and most complex in the
world, with over $1,100,000,000,000 in annual two-way trade;
Whereas the United States Trade Representative and the
European Union have engaged in substantive negotiations
toward the conclusion of a trade agreement;
Whereas the United States has historically acted as a
guarantor of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, an agreement
between the British and Irish governments, designed to
protect peace in Northern Ireland by avoiding a hard border
on the island of Ireland;
Whereas Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom,
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen,
and President of the European Council Charles Michel signed
the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement on January 24, 2020;
Whereas as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, in
order to protect the Good Friday Agreement in the aftermath
of the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union,
the two parties agreed to the Northern Ireland Protocol; and
Whereas the constitutional power of making trade agreements
with foreign nations rests with Congress: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the United States should strengthen its close and
mutually beneficial trading and economic partnership with the
United Kingdom that takes into account, as relevant,
conditions requiring that obligations under the Good Friday
Agreement be met;
(2) the United States should strengthen its close and
mutually beneficial trading and economic partnership with the
European Union by working to conclude negotiations for a
comprehensive trade agreement;
(3) the President, in consultation with Congress, should
work to conclude negotiations for such comprehensive trade
agreements contingent upon an agreement between the European
Union and the United Kingdom that fully protects and
preserves the Good Friday Agreement consistent with the
sentiments expressed by the Senate in S. Res. 117 (117th
Congress); and
(4) the President, in consultation with Congress, should
strive to reach mutually advantageous resolutions of
commercial disagreements between the United States and the
United Kingdom, including ending the Digital Services Tax on
United States businesses and ensuring a satisfactory final
resolution to the World Trade Organization large civil
aircraft dispute.
____________________