New Jersey-2022-SR19-Introduced

A Senate Resolution urging Congress to oppose trade agreements with the United Kingdom unless the Good Friday Agreement and other elements of the Irish peace process are preserved.

Whereas, The Good Friday Agreement signed on April 10, 1998, Good Friday, centered on the division in Northern Irish society; and

Whereas, The conflict dates back to the early 1920's when Northern Ireland became separated from the rest of Ireland; and

Whereas, Northern Ireland became part of the United Kingdom with England, Wales, and Scotland, leaving the Republic of Ireland as a separate country; and

Whereas, The population of Northern Ireland was divided in two, with Unionists, who wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom, and Nationalists, who wanted Northern Ireland to be independent from the United Kingdom and join the Republic of Ireland; and

Whereas, In 1998, after nearly two years of talks and 30 years of conflict, the Agreement was reached between the British and Irish governments on how Northern Ireland should be governed; and

Whereas, In 1998, the Agreement was signed, resulting in a new government being formed that would see power being shared between Unionists and Nationalists; and

Whereas, The Agreement also addressed whether Northern Ireland should remain in the United Kingdom or become part of a united Ireland, and there would be no change without the consent of the majority; and

Whereas, The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is attempting to redraw elements of the Brexit treaty with the European Union relating to Northern Ireland; and

Whereas, The Prime Minister has ordered the altering of the withdrawal agreement because he wants British ministers to have the right to interpret key parts of the Northern Ireland protocol, a legal document designed to avoid a hard border with Ireland; and

Whereas, The United States has long utilized trade agreements to advance its foreign policy interests; and

Whereas, The United States has a longstanding interest in ensuring the preservation of the Good Friday Agreement; London's highly-prized trade deal must be evaluated in terms of that longstanding interest; and

Whereas, Brexit cannot be allowed to imperil the Agreement, including the stability brought by the invisible and frictionless border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland; and

Whereas, The United Kingdom must continue to honor the Agreement, which supported the peace settlement in Northern Ireland, as it departs from the European Union; and

Whereas, Members of the United States Congress have warned that if the United Kingdom undermines the peace process or reinstates a hard border to secure Brexit on its terms, the United Kingdom's chances of securing the required congressional support for a United Kingdom-United States free trade deal will disappear; and

Whereas, Four senior members of Congress in a joint statement warned that the United Kingdom's plans could have disastrous consequences for the Agreement and the broader process of maintaining peace on the island of Ireland; and

Whereas, The members of Congress also stated that many in the Congress and the United States consider the issue of the agreement and a potential United Kingdom-United States free trade agreement inextricably linked; and

Whereas, This House supports the idea that we cannot allow the Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit and any trade deal between the United States and the United Kingdom must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border; and

Whereas, This House urges Congress to oppose any agreement with the United Kingdom unless the Agreement and other elements of the Irish peace process are preserved; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House urges Congress to oppose trade agreements with the United Kingdom unless the Good Friday Agreement and other elements of the Irish peace process are preserved.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of the Congress elected from this State.

STATEMENT

The Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10, 1998, Good Friday, and centered on the division in Northern Irish society. The conflict dates back to the early 1920's when Northern Ireland became separated from the rest of Ireland.

Great Britain ruled Ireland for hundreds of years. Northern Ireland became part of the United Kingdom with England, Wales and Scotland, leaving the Republic of Ireland as a separate country. The population of Northern Ireland was divided in two: Unionists who wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom, and Nationalists who wanted Northern Ireland to be independent from the United Kingdom and join the Republic of Ireland.

In 1998, after nearly two years of talks and 30 years of conflict, the Agreement was signed, resulting in a new government being formed that would see power being shared between Unionists and Nationalists. An attempt by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union on its own terms will undermine the Agreement, causing the Agreement to become a casualty of Brexit talks.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is attempting to redraw elements of the Brexit treaty with the European Union relating to Northern Ireland because he wants British ministers to have the right to interpret key parts of the Northern Ireland protocol, a legal document designed to avoid a hard border with Ireland. However, the change threatens to put London's highly-prized trade deal with the United States in jeopardy. The United Kingdom must continue to honor the Agreement, which supported the peace settlement in Northern Ireland, as it departs from the European Union.

Four senior members of the U.S. Congress in a joint statement warned that the United Kingdom's plans could have disastrous consequences for the Agreement and the broader process of maintaining peace on the island of Ireland, and many in the Congress and the United States consider the issue of the Agreement and a potential United States-United Kingdom free trade agreement inextricably linked.

This House supports the idea that we cannot allow the Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit and any trade deal between the United States and United Kingdom must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. This House urges Congress to oppose any agreement with the United Kingdom unless the Agreement and other elements of the Irish peace process are preserved.