A 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.

Bill: 118-sres-591
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]
Introduced: 2024-03-19
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-03-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-03-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This resolution recognizes that the relationship between the United States and Canada is an essential strategic asset to the United States and U.S. citizens, reaffirms the U.S. commitment to maintain and grow the U.S.-Canada partnership, and fully commits to the creation of more well-paying jobs in the United States through trade and investment with Canada.</p>

tv_txt: III 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 591 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

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.