February 24, 2025
Mr. Amodei of Nevada (for himself, Mrs. Fletcher, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Langworthy, Ms. Ross, Ms. Lee of Nevada, Ms. Titus, and Mr. Costa) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Reaffirming the deep and steadfast United States-Canada partnership and the ties that bind the two countries in support of economic and national security.
Whereas, now, more than ever in history, Congress understands the critical importance of further strengthening and deepening United States alliances, and the House of Representatives is called upon not only to protect, but to advance, United States partnerships;
Whereas the United States enjoys the great fortune of having one of its closest allies next door at a time when countries around the world are facing existential threats from their neighbors;
Whereas, in June 2023, the bipartisan and bicameral American Canadian Economy and Security (ACES) Caucus was established in the House of Representatives and the Senate, which presents an opportunity to fortify and advance the indispensable economic and security partnership between the United States and Canada;
Whereas the United States and Canada can together reinforce their shared interest in four critical areas, which are—
(1)
economic security;
(2)
energy and critical minerals security;
(3)
national security; and
(4)
global security;
Whereas the prosperity of Americans and Canadians is supported by their mutually beneficial economic relationship and resilient and integrated supply chains;
Whereas the United States, Mexico, and Canada Agreement (USMCA) forms the foundation of their economic competitiveness;
Whereas the United States and Canada—
(1)
share one of the largest trading relationships in the world, with nearly $1,000,000,000,000 in bilateral trade in goods and services in 2023, supporting nearly 8,000,000 American jobs; and
(2)
understand the importance of secure and resilient supply chains, and have established formal mechanisms to further strengthen economic integration and minimize America’s dependency on foreign adversaries;
Whereas Canada is the largest single export market for the United States, and Canada was the number one customer for 36 of the 50 States in 2023;
Whereas over 330 congressional districts each exported more than $250,000,000 in goods to Canada, and over 100 districts each exported more than $1,000,000,000 in goods to Canada in 2023;
Whereas bilateral trade in agriculture between Canada and the United States reached $72,500,000,000 in 2023, and Canada is the number one agricultural export market for 27 States in the United States;
Whereas Canada-United States trade is built on long-standing binational supply chains, whereby roughly 70 percent of Canadian goods exports to the United States are used by manufacturers in the United States to produce higher value goods;
Whereas Canada buys over $22,000,000,000 worth of automotive parts and $33,600,000,000 worth of vehicles from the United States each year;
Whereas Canadian lumber plays a crucial role in housing affordability for Americans, where demand for lumber exceeds what United States domestic mills can supply;
Whereas the United States and Canada—
(1)
are global leaders in science, technology, and innovation, and can secure North America’s future as the most competitive region in the world; and
(2)
are working together to deepen cooperation in developing and protecting emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum;
Whereas Canada—
(1)
is the world’s fourth-largest petroleum producer and is the United States largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, uranium, natural gas, and electricity;
(2)
supports American energy dominance by providing safe and reliable natural gas, electricity, crude oil, and uranium for nuclear power;
(3)
bolsters the United States position as the world’s number-one exporter of liquified natural gas (LNG) by supplying border States with Canadian natural gas;
(4)
enables United States artificial intelligence technology growth by supplying the critical fuels required by the American power industry; and
(5)
is a reliable source of energy and resources for the United States, producing over 60 minerals and metals, and is a leading global producer of 21 critical minerals on the U.S. Geological Survey critical mineral list;
Whereas Canada is committed to ensuring North American competitiveness, and the success of Canadian and United States workers and communities, and is taking steps to address China’s nonmarket practices, notably by screening inbound investment in Canada and applying a surtax on Chinese products such as Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum;
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)
have committed to work together to protect biodiverse areas that span their shared border, including in collaboration with Indigenous and Tribal partners, benefiting shared species like migratory birds; and
(3)
have jointly collaborated for over 100 years under the Boundary Waters Treaty to manage and conserve their shared waters for the benefit of both countries, including over 50 years under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement;
Whereas the United States and Canada—
(1)
share three oceans and the world’s longest border, and safely oversee the movement of about 400,000 people every day and more than $2,500,000,000 worth of goods and services that cross the border each day;
(2)
cooperate to keep the border open to legitimate trade and travel but closed to illegal migration, terrorists, criminals, and threats to citizen health and safety;
(3)
are committed to jointly protecting the security of their citizens, including through Canada’s recent actions and significant investments to strengthen border security by—
(A)
fighting sources of illegal migration at the border, and keeping deadly drugs like fentanyl and its precursors from entering;
(B)
securing border crossings by maintaining 24/7 eyes on the border using new surveillance technology and increased personnel;
(C)
combating fentanyl trafficking through the appointment of a Fentanyl Czar, listing cartels as terrorist entities, and launching a Canada-United States Joint Strike Force;
(D)
detecting and disrupting the fentanyl trade with more technology, tools and intelligence;
(E)
reinforcing a one border, one team
approach through more cross-border information and intelligence sharing; and
(F)
keeping people safe through joint emergency readiness and creating a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)-like Joint Emergency Management partnership;
(4)
are united in fighting a fentanyl crisis which is indiscriminately affecting citizens on both sides of the border and is fueled by the actions of malign actors abroad;
(5)
work together to secure the countries’ border through the Cross Border Crime Forum, Integrated Border Enforcement Teams, Beyond the Border Initiative, United States-Canada NEXUS Trusted Traveler Program, Border Enforcement Security Taskforces (BEST), Shiprider, the Integrated Cross Border Maritime Law Enforcement program, and United States preclearance operations conducted at Canadian airports, all of which enhance joint security efforts;
(6)
have an Integrated Border Enforcement Charter that allows border enforcement agencies 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
(7)
both understand that a threat to the security of one country is a threat to the security of both;
Whereas the United States and Canada—
(1)
are Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic countries;
(2)
are unequivocally committed to playing a leadership role in protecting global security and promoting democracy around the world;
(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 NORAD, the world’s only binational military command;
(4)
share the desire for a peaceful, stable, and predictable Arctic region, including for the benefit of Arctic and Northern peoples and communities;
(5)
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 (OSCE), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Organization of American States;
(6)
cooperate extensively through a Tri-Command Framework
comprised of the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD);
(7)
work together as the only North American members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to ensure peace and security in the transatlantic region;
(8)
support NATO’s deterrence and defense efforts, and their European Allies, through their roles as the Framework Nations for the NATO brigades in Latvia and Poland; and
(9)
share a long and storied history of civil space partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and a Canadian will fly on the historic Artemis II mission around the Moon with NASA;
Whereas Canada has been a committed ally in upholding the rules-based international order by promoting peace, resilience, and security in the Indo-Pacific 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;
Whereas Canada is in consultation with the United States, Australia, and the UK to identify collaborative projects on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II; and
Whereas history, geography, commerce, security, and shared democratic values underpin a close relationship between the United States and Canada: Now, therefore, be it
Sec.
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
recognizes that now, more than ever, the relationship between the United States and Canada is an essential strategic asset to the United States and Americans, and is critical to promoting peace, expanding global economic opportunity, and being prepared to respond to unforeseen events;
(2)
reaffirms its full commitment to maintain and grow the critical United States-Canada partnership;
(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 its commitment to the bilateral and international alliance between the two countries, which allows both countries 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 of the most secure borders in the world, the comanagement of which facilitates trade and serves as a trusted corridor for their supply chains;
(6)
recognizes that bolstering the supply chains of both countries will make both countries more competitive and more resilient in the face of economic aggression from hostile countries;
(7)
supports an increased focus on energy security through greater cross-border energy infrastructure, including for oil, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy, and resilient electricity transmission, and through diversifying critical minerals supply chains; and
(8)
is fully committed to the creation of more well-paying United States jobs through continued trade and investment with Canada.