CSHJR 11(RES): Recognizing and honoring the relationship between Canada and Alaska.
00 CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 11(RES) 01 Recognizing and honoring the relationship between Canada and Alaska. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS Canada and the United States share the world's longest international 04 border, spanning 5,511 miles, with Alaska and Canada sharing 1,538 miles of that border, 05 which serves as a vital corridor for trade, travel, and cross-border cooperation; and 06 WHEREAS Canada is Alaska's only neighbor, reinforcing a unique and deeply 07 interconnected relationship built on geography, history, and mutual economic and cultural 08 ties; and 09 WHEREAS both Canada and Alaska are blessed with extraordinary natural 10 environments, valuable natural resources, and shared cultures that stretch back millennia; and 11 WHEREAS Canada and Alaska have worked together to create jobs through 12 integrated economies, to protect our shared environment, airspace, and border, and to defend 13 North America from threats; and 14 WHEREAS the citizens of Canada and the citizens of Alaska have developed deep 15 friendships, family ties, and collaborative relationships over the course of history; and 16 WHEREAS Alaska and Canada have long supported international sporting and
01 cultural exchanges, which promote youth development, athletic excellence, and cross-cultural 02 understanding between the northern communities of the United States and Canada; and 03 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have developed one of the most successful 04 international relationships in the modern world, sharing a vibrant history of democratic 05 governance, military and economic partnerships, and cultural ties; and 06 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have been close allies, serving on 07 battlefields alongside one another in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Gulf 08 War, the Kosovo War, and the War on Terror, including the Global Coalition against Daesh; 09 and 10 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have been partners in the Permanent Joint 11 Board on Defense since 1940, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since 1949, and the 12 North American Aerospace Defense Command since 1958, with Alaska's North American 13 Aerospace Defense Command region proudly commanded out of Joint Base Elmendorf- 14 Richardson by an American Commander and a Canadian Deputy Commander; and 15 WHEREAS Canada has provided aid to the United States in times of need, including 16 the Iran hostage crisis, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, 17 Hurricane Katrina, wildfires in Alaska and across the United States, and other disasters; and 18 WHEREAS Alaska recognizes the importance of a strong and sovereign nation of 19 Canada and firmly supports Canada's right to self-determination, national security, and 20 economic independence; and 21 WHEREAS Canada and Alaska strive to advance the goal of sustaining healthy and 22 resilient Arctic and northern peoples and communities by strengthening economic, cultural, 23 and family connections across the region and by recognizing the historical trade and relations 24 of tribes on both sides of today's border; and 25 WHEREAS both Canada and the United States benefit from the efficient and secure 26 movement of people and goods between countries, including as partners in vibrant regional 27 cruise industries, fishing industries, resource extraction industries, agricultural industries, 28 energy industries, and medical industries; and 29 WHEREAS the United States is Canada's premier partner in the Arctic, and 30 cooperation between Canada and Alaska is longstanding, including on economic 31 opportunities, health, education, energy, security, environmental protection, infrastructure,
01 and public safety issues; and 02 WHEREAS Alaska annually exports $596,000,000 in goods to Canada, including 03 $438,000,000 in ore and fuel oil; and 04 WHEREAS Alaska annually imports $753,000,000 from Canada, including 05 $370,000,000 in ore and fuel oil; and 06 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have the largest and most comprehensive 07 and balanced trade relationship in the world, totaling $1,000,000,000,000 annually, 08 representing 13.3 percent of total United States trade, with $2,500,000,000 worth of goods 09 and services crossing the United States and Canada border every day; and 10 WHEREAS the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiated in 2018 11 provides the framework for much of this bilateral trade, has provided important updates to the 12 North American Free Trade Agreement, and continues to grow both economies; and 13 WHEREAS more than 20,300 jobs in Alaska rely on trade and investment with 14 Canada, and more than 47 Canadian-owned companies operate in Alaska and employ 4,350 15 residents throughout the state; and 16 WHEREAS Canada and Alaska share diverse transportation links by road and by sea, 17 including the Alaska-Canada Highway, constructed during World War II to benefit our shared 18 defense, the Alaska Marine Highway system, which runs from Bellingham, Washington to 19 Alaska through Canadian water and has a terminal at Prince Rupert, and the uniquely 20 interdependent communities of Stewart, British Columbia, and Hyder, Alaska; and 21 WHEREAS the imposition of recent proposed tariffs could threaten this unique, 22 mutually beneficial relationship and could harm the economies of both Alaska and Canada, 23 jeopardizing jobs, businesses, and longstanding partnerships; 24 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the vibrancy and 25 importance of the Alaska-Canada relationship as the world increasingly recognizes the 26 strategic, economic, environmental, and cultural importance of the Arctic; and be it 27 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature believes that Canada and 28 Alaska must continue to work together to make our citizens' lives better, safer, more 29 prosperous, and more affordable; and be it 30 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the economic 31 and trade relationships between our nation and Canada and Alaska and Canada; and be it
01 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature opposes restrictive trade 02 measures that would harm the unique relationship between Canada and Alaska or negatively 03 affect our integrated economies; and be it 04 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature honors Alaska's alliance 05 with Canada and looks forward to many more years of cooperation, friendship, trade, tourism, 06 cultural exchange, and good will. 07 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President 08 of the United States; the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada; the 09 Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada; the Honourable Mary Ng, 10 Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, of Canada; 11 the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence of Canada; the Honorable Marco 12 Rubio, United States Secretary of State; the Honorable Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary 13 of Defense; General Gregory M. Guillot, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense 14 Command and United States Northern Command; Lieutenant General Blaise F. Frawley, 15 Deputy Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command; Craig Weichel, Consul 16 General of Canada in Seattle, Washington; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the 17 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 18 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.