House and Senate Republicans enter joint resolutions honouring ‘mutually beneficial’ relationship
A handful of Alaskan state-level politicians are opposing Donald Trump’s “restrictive trade measures that would harm the unique Canada-U.S. relationship” with recent joint resolutions.
Currently making their way through both levels of government, the legislative measures celebrate that cooperation and object to steps that might “negatively affect our integrated economies.”
In Alaska, resolutions passed by the House and the Senate don’t become law, but signal an intent to amend, enshrine or recognize something of importance, be it the state’s constitution, a landmark or an organization.
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In this case, the “mutually beneficial” ties that bind are being honoured by the legislators.
Trade and investment within Canada supports over 20,000 Alaskan jobs, and the state is home to almost four dozen Canadian-owned companies that employ 4,350 residents.
On three occasions, the documents remind Trump of the “importance of the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement” he negotiated and inked during his first term in office.
In a committee sponsor letter for No. 9, Giessel “humbly” asks Washington to not follow through, for Alaska’s sake.
“While supportive of the desire to be more self-sufficient, the reality is; Alaska finds itself without a land border to the contiguous lower 48 States, without reliable sources of building materials, without reliable sources of energy, without reliable sources of food, and entirely reliant on imports to the state, many of which originate from Canada or pass through Canadian territories or waters,” she wrote.
“We have nothing on the Bering Sea. So Canada, their Air Force responds. Their Coast Guard responds if we need help over on our side. We’re all connected in the Arctic and of course, we are very closely positioned to some challenging neighbors,” she said.
Her resolution, first introduced to the Special Committee on Arctic Affairs, was unanimously accepted and sent back to the Rules Committee last week.
In the Republican-led lower house, Kopp’s resolution had its first reading and has been referred to the Resources Committee.
Craig Weichel, Canada’s Seattle-based Consul General to the U.S., parrots many of the documents’ same talking points in matching letters of support, but also defends Canada’s efforts to bolster border enforcement efforts to crack down on fentanyl.
Copies of both resolutions were sent to Trump and outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, cabinet ministers and members within their respective governments, and multiple high-ranking military officers on both sides.
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