[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.

                          ____________________