BILL REQ. #:  Z-0991.1 

Read first time 01/26/12.   Referred to Committee on Economic Development, Trade & Innovation.

     TO THE HONORABLE BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO EACH MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE, THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, AND THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The United States and Canada enjoy a partnership long rooted in a history of peaceful coexistence and one of the largest and most successful economic relationships in the world; and
     WHEREAS, The United States and Canada are each other's largest single export market; and
     WHEREAS, Millions of jobs in both the United States and Canada depend on the trade and investment flowing across the border between the two countries; and
     WHEREAS, Canada is Washington's top trading partner, based on 2010 data, and our companies and industries depend on integrated cross-border supply chains and production processes; and
     WHEREAS, On February 4, 2011, the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States issued a declaration on a Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, which called for a joint action plan; and
     WHEREAS, The United States and Canada established a Beyond the Border Working Group composed of representatives from the relevant departments and offices of their federal governments to develop the action plan and be responsible for its implementation; and
     WHEREAS, The Beyond the Border Action Plan was released in December of 2011; and
     WHEREAS, The Beyond the Border Action Plan details methods for the United States and Canada to work together to enhance joint security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services through four areas of cooperation: (1) Addressing threats early; (2) trade facilitation, economic growth, and jobs; (3) cross-border law enforcement; and (4) critical infrastructure and cybersecurity; and
     WHEREAS, On February 4, 2011, the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States announced the creation of the United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council to increase regulatory transparency and coordination between the two countries; and
     WHEREAS, The initial Joint Action Plan of the Regulatory Cooperation Council was released in December of 2011; and
     WHEREAS, The Action Plan on Regulatory Cooperation will help reduce barriers to trade, lower costs for consumers and business, and create economic opportunities on both sides of the border through the alignment of regulatory approaches in the areas of agriculture and food, transportation, health and personal care products, chemical management, the environment, and other cross-sectoral areas, while not compromising our health, safety, or environmental protection standards; and
     WHEREAS, Washington has much to gain from the development of joint strategies and integrated approaches to enhance security and efficient trade between Canada and the United States;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President, Executive Branch Agencies, and Congress work together to see that the Beyond the Border Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness and the Action Plan on Regulatory Cooperation are carried out, and that the United States' appointees to the Beyond the Border Working Group, the Regulatory Cooperation Council, and the United States' agencies responsible for implementing the Action Plans have the resources necessary to assist in realizing the goals of the Action Plans.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States, each member of Congress from the State of Washington, the Secretary of the United States Department of State, the United States Attorney General, the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce, the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, the President of the United States Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.