119-hconres2

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 2 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. CON. RES. 2

 Establishing the Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Trade Responsibilities to 
 develop a plan under which the functions and responsibilities of the 
Office of the United States Trade Representative shall be moved to the 
 legislative branch in accordance with article I, 

section 8 of the 
 Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 3, 2025

 Mr. Griffith submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
 Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
 within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 Establishing the Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Trade Responsibilities to 
 develop a plan under which the functions and responsibilities of the 
Office of the United States Trade Representative shall be moved to the 
 legislative branch in accordance with article I, 

section 8 of the 
 Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.

 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This resolution may be cited as the ``Reclaiming Congress's 
Constitutional Mandate in Trade Resolution''.

SEC. 2. JOINT AD HOC COMMITTEE ON TRADE RESPONSIBILITIES.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a Joint Ad Hoc Committee 
on Trade Responsibilities (referred to as the ``Joint Ad Hoc 
Committee'').

    (b) Membership.--The Joint Ad Hoc Committee shall consist of 14 
members, who shall be appointed not later than 60 days after the date 
of the adoption of this resolution, as follows:

    (1) Nine Members of the House of Representatives who shall 
 be members of the Committee on Ways and Means or the Committee 
 on Energy and Commerce, of whom--
        (A) six shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
 House of Representatives, one of whom (as designated by 
 the Speaker at the time of appointment) shall serve as 
 the Chair of the Joint Ad Hoc Committee; and
        (B) three shall be appointed by the minority leader 
 of the House of Representatives.

    (2) Five Senators who shall be members of the Committee on 
 Finance, of whom--
        (A) three shall be appointed by the majority leader 
 of the Senate, one of whom (as designated by the 
 majority leader at the time of appointment) shall serve 
 as the Vice Chair of the Joint Ad Hoc Committee; and
        (B) two shall be appointed by the minority leader 
 of the Senate.
            (c) Duties.--

    (1) Plan for transfer of ustr functions to legislative 
 branch.--The Joint Ad Hoc Committee shall develop a plan under 
 which the functions and responsibilities of the Office of the 
 United States Trade Representative shall be moved to the 
 legislative branch in accordance with article I, 

section 8 of 
 the Constitution of the United States.

    (2) Consultation with advisory board.--In developing the 
 plan under paragraph

    (1) , the Joint Ad Hoc Committee shall 
 consult regularly with the Congressional Advisory Board on 
 Trade Responsibilities established under 

section 3.

    (3) Deadline for transfer under plan.--Under the plan 
 developed by the Joint Ad Hoc Committee under paragraph

    (1) , 
 the functions and responsibilities of the Office of the United 
 States Trade Representative shall be moved to the legislative 
 branch--
        (A) upon the expiration of the 4-year period which 
 begins on the date the Joint Ad Hoc Committee submits 
 the report described in subsection

    (e) ; or
        (B) on July 1, 2028,
 whichever is later.
            (d) Authorities; Employment and Compensation of Staff.--

    (1) Authority of committee.--
        (A) In general.--The Joint Ad Hoc Committee may--
            (i) subject to subparagraph
        (B) , sit and 
 act at such places and times as the Joint Ad 
 Hoc Committee determines are appropriate during 
 the sessions, recesses, and adjourned periods 
 of Congress; and
            (ii) require the attendance of witnesses 
 and the production of books, papers, and 
 documents, administer oaths, take testimony, 
 and procure printing and binding.
        (B) Meetings.--Beginning on the date that is 90 
 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution, 
 the Joint Ad Hoc Committee may meet at the call of the 
 Chair or a majority of its members that are appointed 
 as of such date.

    (2) Appointment and compensation of staff.--
        (A) The Joint 
 Ad Hoc Committee may appoint and fix the compensation of such 
 experts, consultants, technicians, and clerical personnel as it 
 deems necessary, but shall utilize existing staff to the extent 
 possible. Staff shall be compensated and reimbursed in 
 accordance with current rules, statutes, practices, and 
 procedures under which congressional staff are currently 
 compensated and reimbursed for their official expenses.
        (B) The Joint Ad Hoc Committee may utilize such voluntary 
 and uncompensated services as it deems necessary and may 
 utilize the services, information, facilities, and personnel of 
 other agencies of the legislative branch.

    (3) Witnesses.--Witnesses requested to appear before the 
 Joint Ad Hoc Committee shall be reimbursed for travel, 
 subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in traveling 
 to and from Joint Ad Hoc Committee proceedings.

    (4) Expenses.--
        (A) House of representatives.--There shall be paid 
 out of the applicable accounts of the House of 
 Representatives such sums as may be necessary for the 
 portion of the expenses of the Joint Ad Hoc Committee 
 which are allocable to the House. Such payments shall 
 be made on vouchers signed by the Chair of the Joint Ad 
 Hoc Committee and approved in the manner directed by 
 the Committee on House Administration of the House of 
 Representatives. Amounts made available under this 
 paragraph shall be expended in accordance with 
 regulations prescribed by the Committee on House 
 Administration of the House of Representatives.
        (B) Senate.--There shall be paid out of the 
 contingent fund of the Senate such sums as may be 
 necessary for the portion of the expenses of the Joint 
 Ad Hoc Committee which are allocable to the Senate. 
 Such payments shall be made on vouchers signed by the 
 Vice Chair of the Joint Ad Hoc Committee.

    (e) Report.--Not later than 16 months after the date on which all 
members of the Joint Ad Hoc Committee are appointed under subsection

    (b) , the Committee shall submit to Congress a report that contains the 
plan described in subsection
            (c) .

    (f) Termination.--The Joint Ad Hoc Committee shall terminate upon 
the expiration of the 1-year period which begins on the date the Joint 
Ad Hoc Committee submits the report required under subsection

    (e) .

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a Congressional Advisory 
Board on Trade Responsibilities (referred to as the ``Advisory 
Board'').

    (b) Membership.--The Advisory Board shall consist of 21 members, 
who shall be appointed not later than 60 days after the date of the 
adoption of this resolution, as follows:

    (1) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
 Representatives, of whom--
        (A) one member shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (1) ; and
        (B) three members shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (2) .

    (2) Four members appointed by the majority leader of the 
 Senate, of whom--
        (A) one member shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (1) ; and
        (B) three members shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (2) .

    (3) Three members appointed by the minority leader of the 
 House of Representatives, of whom--
        (A) one member shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (1) ; and
        (B) two members shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (2) .

    (4) Three members appointed by the minority leader of the 
 Senate, of whom--
        (A) one member shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (1) ; and
        (B) two members shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (2) .

    (5) Six members appointed by the United States Trade 
 Representative, of whom--
        (A) three members shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (1) ; and
        (B) three members shall be appointed from among the 
 individuals described in subsection
            (c) (2) .

    (6) The United States Trade Representative (or the Trade 
 Representative's designee).
            (c) Individuals Eligible for Appointment.--The individuals eligible 
for appointment to the Advisory Board under subsection

    (b) are the 
following:

    (1) Individuals with expertise on the constitutional roles 
 of the President and Congress regarding United States trade 
 policy and the development, negotiation, implementation, and 
 administration of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.

    (2) Individuals who are representatives of non-Federal 
 governments, labor, industry, agriculture, small business, 
 service industries, retailers, nongovernmental environmental 
 and conservation organization, and consumer interests.
            (d) Duties.--The Advisory Board shall advise the Joint Ad Hoc 
Committee on Trade Responsibilities established under 

section 2 in its 
development of the plan described in 

section 2
            (c) .

    (e) Expenses.--Members of the Advisory Board shall serve without 
pay, but each member who does not reside in the Washington Metropolitan 
Area shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter 
I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. In this subsection, the 
term ``Washington Metropolitan Area'' means the District of Columbia, 
the counties of Montgomery and Prince Georges in Maryland, and the 
counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, and Prince William and the 
cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia.

    (f) Availability of Staff of Joint Ad Hoc Committee.--The Advisory 
Board may not appoint staff, but upon request of the Advisory Board, 
the Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Trade Responsibilities may detail any of 
its personnel to assist the Advisory Board in carrying out the Advisory 
Board's duties under this Act.

    (g) Termination.--The Advisory Board shall terminate upon the 
expiration of the 1-year period which begins on the date the Joint Ad 
Hoc Committee on Trade Responsibilities submits the report required 
under 

section 2

    (e) .

SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE OF UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE.

 The United States Trade Representative and other heads of offices 
in the executive branch, shall make available to the Joint Ad Hoc 
Committee on Trade Responsibilities established under 

section 2 and the 
Congressional Advisory Board on Trade Responsibilities established 
under 

section 3 such information and assistance the Joint Ad Hoc 
Committee and the Advisory Board may reasonably require to carry out 
their activities.
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