[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2441-S2442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 591--REAFFIRMING THE DEEP AND STEADFAST PARTNERSHIP 
   BETWEEN, AND THE TIES THAT BIND, THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA IN 
               SUPPORT OF ECONOMIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY

  Mr. CRAMER (for himself, Mr. King, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Crapo, Mr. 
Boozman, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Fetterman, and Mr. 
Ricketts) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 591

       Whereas Members of the Senate understand the critical 
     importance of further strengthening and deepening the 
     alliances of the United States, and are called upon not only 
     to protect, but to advance the partnerships of the United 
     States;
       Whereas the United States enjoys the great fortune of 
     sharing a border with Canada, the closest ally of the United 
     States, while countries around the world are facing 
     existential threats from their neighbors;
       Whereas, in June 2023, the bipartisan and bicameral 
     American Canadian Economy and Security Caucus was established 
     in the Senate and the House of Representatives, presenting an 
     opportunity to fortify and advance the indispensable economic 
     and security partnership between the United States and 
     Canada;
       Whereas the governments of the United States and Canada can 
     reinforce shared interests in the 4 critical areas of 
     economic security, sustainability, energy, and critical 
     mineral security, national security, and global security;
       Whereas the prosperity of citizens of the United States and 
     Canada depends on the mutually beneficial economic 
     relationship and resilient and integrated supply chains of 
     the United States and Canada;
       Whereas the Agreement between the United States of America, 
     the United Mexican States, and Canada, done at Buenos Aires 
     November 30, 2018 (commonly known as the ``United States-
     Mexico-Canada Agreement''), forms the foundation of the 
     economic competitiveness of the United States and Canada;
       Whereas the governments of the United States and Canada--
       (1) share one of the largest trading relationships in the 
     world, with approximately $1,300,000,000,000 in bilateral 
     trade in goods and services in 2022, supporting more than 
     7,500,000 jobs in the United States; and
       (2) understand the importance of secure and resilient 
     supply chains, and have established formal mechanisms to 
     further strengthen the economic integration between the 
     United States and Canada so that the United States and Canada 
     can withstand major crises;
       Whereas Canada is the largest single export market for the 
     United States and was the primary customer for 33 of 50 
     States in 2022;
       Whereas, in 2022, more than 300 congressional districts in 
     the United States each exported more than $250,000,000 in 
     goods to Canada, and more than 100 districts each exported 
     more than $1,000,000,000 in goods to Canada;
       Whereas trade between the United States and Canada is built 
     on long-standing binational supply chains, whereby roughly 80 
     percent of Canadian goods exports to the United States are 
     incorporated into United States

[[Page S2442]]

     supply chains and Canadian goods sold to the United States 
     contain on average 25 percent content produced in the United 
     States;
       Whereas Canada buys more than $22,000,000,000 worth of 
     automotive parts from the United States each year, and each 
     assembled vehicle exported to the United States from Canada 
     contains approximately 50 percent of content originating from 
     the United States;
       Whereas the United States and Canada--
       (1) are global leaders in science, technology, and 
     innovation, and can secure the future of North America as the 
     most competitive region in the world;
       (2) are working together to deepen cooperation in 
     developing and protecting emerging technologies, including 
     artificial intelligence and quantum science; and
       (3) are founding members of the Global Partnership on 
     Artificial Intelligence, with Canada hosting the inaugural 
     plenary in December 2020;
       Whereas Canada--
       (1) is the fourth largest petroleum producer in the world 
     and is the largest foreign supplier of energy to the United 
     States, including oil, uranium, natural gas, and electricity; 
     and
       (2) is a reliable source of energy and resources for the 
     United States, producing more than 60 minerals and metals, 
     and is a leading global producer of 19 critical minerals on 
     the List of Critical Minerals published by the United States 
     Geological Survey;
       Whereas the United States and Canada--
       (1) have a deeply interconnected electricity sector, with 
     more than 35 active electricity transmission connections 
     between the two countries, many of which enable bidirectional 
     flows of electricity, helping to ensure the security and 
     reliability of the North American grid;
       (2) are committed to closely collaborating to achieve 
     shared sustainability objectives, including advancements in 
     energy efficiency and the reduction of emissions to support a 
     sustainable future;
       (3) have committed to work together to protect biodiverse 
     areas that span the shared border between the United States 
     and Canada, including in collaboration with Indigenous and 
     Tribal partners, benefitting shared species like migratory 
     birds;
       (4) have an appreciation for environmental stewardship and 
     abide by some of the highest production standards in the 
     world, reducing global emissions through the production of 
     goods in the United States and Canada; and
       (5) have jointly collaborated for more than 100 years under 
     the Treaty Relating to the Boundary Waters and Questions 
     Arising Along the Boundary Between the United States and 
     Canada, done at Washington January 11, 1909 (36 Stat. 2448; 
     TS 548) (commonly known as the `Boundary Waters Treaty of 
     1909') to manage and conserve shared waters for the benefit 
     of both countries, including more than 50 years under the 
     Agreement between Canada and the United States of America on 
     Great Lakes Water Quality, done at Ottawa November 22, 1978;
       Whereas the United States and Canada--
       (1) share 3 oceans and the longest border in the world;
       (2) are committed to jointly protecting the security of the 
     citizens of the United States and Canada, because the 
     governments of the United States and Canada understand that a 
     threat to the security of one country is a threat to the 
     security of both countries;
       (3) recognize that collective security is a shared 
     responsibility, and are committed to expanding cooperation on 
     continental defense and in the Arctic, including by 
     increasing investments in continental defense and modernizing 
     the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the only 
     binational military command in the world;
       (4) share the desire for a peaceful, stable, and 
     predictable Arctic region, including for the benefit of 
     Arctic and Northern peoples and communities;
       (5) cooperate to keep the border open to legitimate trade 
     and travel but closed to terrorists, criminals, and threats 
     to the health and safety of citizens;
       (6) work together to secure the border shared by the United 
     States and Canada through the Cross-Border Crime Forum, 
     Integrated Border Enforcement Teams, the Beyond the Border 
     Initiative, NEXUS, the Border Enforcement Security Task 
     Force, shiprider agreements, the Integrated Cross Border 
     Maritime Law Enforcement Operations, and United States 
     preclearance operations conducted at Canadian airports, all 
     of which enhance joint security efforts;
       (7) have an Integrated Border Enforcement Charter that 
     allows the border enforcement agencies of the United States 
     and Canada to jointly identify national security threats, 
     disrupt organized criminal activities, seize drugs and 
     weapons, and intercept criminal networks trying to smuggle 
     people across the border; and
       (8) safely oversee the movement of more than 400,000 people 
     every day and more than $2,600,000,000 worth of goods and 
     services crossed the border each day;
       Whereas the United States and Canada--
       (1) are the only 2 countries in the world that are have 
     borders along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans;
       (2) are unequivocally committed to playing a leadership 
     role in protecting global security and promoting democracy 
     around the world;
       (3) work together to advance democratic principles, human 
     rights, and free trade policies through the G7, the G20, the 
     United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-
     operation in Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-
     operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, and 
     the Organization of American States;
       (4) cooperate extensively through a ``Tri-Command 
     Framework'' comprised of the United States Northern Command, 
     the Canadian Joint Operations Command, and the North American 
     Aerospace Defense Command;
       (5) work together as the only North American members of the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to ensure peace and 
     security in the transatlantic region;
       (6) support deterrence and defense efforts by NATO and 
     other European Allies through roles as the Framework Nations 
     for the NATO brigades in Latvia and Poland; and
       (7) remain steadfast in support for Ukraine, working 
     together to provide critical military assistance and training 
     to strengthen the capacity of Ukraine to withstand aggression 
     by the Russian Federation;
       Whereas Canada has been a committed ally in upholding the 
     rules-based international order by promoting peace, 
     resilience, and security in the Indo-Pacific region through 
     an augmented and diversified military presence;
       Whereas Canada has been a reliable and engaged partner of 
     the United States in the Indo-Pacific by collaborating 
     extensively with United States Indo-Pacific Command, 
     including through bilateral and multilateral exercises, 
     regional security cooperation and defense engagements, 
     involvement in regional defense forums, and ultimately, 
     through unwavering support of a free, open, and inclusive 
     Indo-Pacific region; and
       Whereas history, geography, commerce, security, and shared 
     democratic values underpin a close relationship between the 
     United States and Canada: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes that the relationship between the United 
     States and Canada is an essential strategic asset to the 
     United States and United States citizens, and is critical to 
     promoting peace, expanding global economic opportunity, and 
     being prepared to respond to unforeseen events;
       (2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
     maintain and grow the critical partnership between the United 
     States and Canada;
       (3) recognizes that the security of one country is 
     dependent on the security of the other, and welcomes greater 
     collaboration in the areas of defense, cyber and technology 
     security, and Arctic security;
       (4) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
     bilateral and international alliance between the United 
     States and Canada, which allows the United States and Canada 
     to face common threats together and uphold common values, 
     including democracy, human rights, and the rule of law;
       (5) recognizes the strategic importance of one the most 
     secure borders in the world, the comanagement of which 
     facilitates trade and serves as a trusted corridor for the 
     supply chains of the United States and Canada;
       (6) recognizes that bolstering the supply chains of the 
     United States and Canada will make each such country more 
     competitive and more resilient in the face of economic 
     aggression from hostile counties;
       (7) supports an increased focus on energy security through 
     greater cross-border energy infrastructure, including 
     infrastructure for oil, natural gas, nuclear and renewable 
     energy, and resilient electricity transmission, and through 
     diversifying critical minerals supply chains;
       (8) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
     strengthen cooperation on shared climate and environmental 
     and sustainability priorities; and
       (9) is fully committed to the creation of more well-paying 
     jobs in the United States through continued and increased 
     trade and investment with Canada.

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