[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 591 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 19, 2024
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
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Reaffirming the deep and steadfast partnership between, and the ties
that bind, the United States and Canada in support of economic and
national security.
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 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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