S.R. 1

1

SENATE RESOLUTION DISCOURAGING
2 PARTICIPATION IN FREE TRADE AREA OF
3 THE AMERICAS
4 2005 GENERAL SESSION
5 STATE OF UTAH
6 Sponsor: David L. Thomas
7 Ron Allen
8 D. Chris Buttars
9 Allen M. Christensen
10 Gene Davis
11 Mike Dmitrich
12 Dan R. EastmanBeverly Ann Evans
Fred J. Fife
Karen Hale
Thomas V. Hatch
Parley G. HellewellJohn W. Hickman
Paula F. Julander
Peter C. Knudson
Mark B. Madsen
Ed Mayne 13
14 LONG TITLE
15 General Description:
16 This resolution of the Senate urges the United States Congress to oppose entering into a
17 Free Trade Area of the Americas.
18 Highlighted Provisions:
19 This resolution:
20 . urges the United States Congress to oppose any agreement for the United States to
21 enter into a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA); and
22 . urges that the United States not enter into the FTAA until the nation has had more
23 experience and greater understanding of the North American Free Trade Agreement
24 and the World Trade Organization.
25 Special Clauses:
26 None
27
28 Be it resolved by the Senate of the state of Utah:

29 WHEREAS, the United States of America has always been the world leader in pushing
30 for free trade, which is a hallmark of our capitalistic society;
31 WHEREAS, free trade only thrives where there is a level playing field of government
32 regulations between trading partners;
33 WHEREAS, the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was supposed
34 to bring additional prosperity to the United States and level the playing field with Canada and
35 Mexico, thus perpetuating free trade between our nations;
36 WHEREAS, notwithstanding the good intentions of NAFTA, our nation has suffered
37 the loss of almost 900,000 jobs due to NAFTA, many of them coming in the manufacturing
38 sector;
39 WHEREAS, manufacturing jobs in the United States have plunged from 19.3 million in
40 1980 to only about 14.6 million today, in large part because of these types of trade issues;
41 WHEREAS, the United States has gone from a trade surplus with Mexico prior to
42 NAFTA to a substantial trade deficit;
43 WHEREAS, the United States is a current member of the World Trade Organization
44 (WTO), which has been called "The United Nations of World Trade";
45 WHEREAS, the United States consistently bows to the wishes of the WTO, only
46 proving the words of Texas Congressman Ron Paul to be prophetic: "The most important
47 reason why we should get out [of the WTO] is to maintain our nation's sovereignty. We should
48 never deliver to any international governing body the authority to dictate what our laws should
49 be. And this is precisely the kind of power that has been given to the WTO";
50 WHEREAS, both the WTO and NAFTA, through the use of trade tribunals, now claim
51 the sovereign authority to overrule decisions of American courts and make awards to foreign
52 businesses for violations of trade agreements;
53 WHEREAS, Abner Mikva, a former chief judge on the federal appellate bench and a
54 former congressman, has stated: "If Congress had known there was anything like this in
55 NAFTA, they never would have voted for it";
56 WHEREAS, the United States is considering entering into a new 34-member Free
57 Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in 2005; and
58 WHEREAS, based upon the experience that the United States has had with NAFTA
59 and the WTO, United States membership in the planned FTAA would increase manufacturing

60 flight in the state of Utah and throughout the United States:
61 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the state of Utah
62 respectfully but firmly urges all members of the United States Congress to vote no on any
63 agreement for the United States to enter into a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).
64 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the state of Utah urges the United
65 States Congress to not enter into the FTAA until the United States has had more experience
66 and greater understanding of the impacts of NAFTA and the World Trade Organization
67 (WTO).
68 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Majority
69 Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives,
70 the members of Utah's congressional delegation, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and
71 the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-17-05 10:53 AM

Based on a limited legal review, this legislation has not been determined to have a high
probability of being held unconstitutional.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel