WASHINGTON – House Speaker Paul D. Ryan is calling on the administration to start talking to the United Kingdom about a new trade agreement to ensure “a smooth” relationship after the country parts ways with the European Union.
Republicans have been debating how to respond to last week’s referendum when British voters decided to break off from the EU, particularly on the issue of trade.
Ryan is advocating being aggressive early in establishing deals with Britain.
“Obviously it takes time to do something like this, but I think it is something we should be working on,” Ryan told ABC affiliate WISN in Wisconsin last week, according to comments his office published on the speaker’s website Monday. “We should begin discussions with Great Britain to ease concerns so that we do have a smooth trade relationship with Great Britain because they are our indispensable ally.”
Ryan later added on Wisconsin radio station WBEL that negotiations with Britain should be done on “a parallel track” to ongoing talks with the European Union toward a trade agreement known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP.
Ryan, a frequent champion of free trade as a tool to improve foreign relations, isn’t the only lawmaker urging the administration to launch talks with London to ensure the U.S.-U.K. relationship won’t be harmed by British-European divorce proceedings.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said in a statement Friday soon after the Brexit results were announced that talks should begin now.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, announced Friday that he would introduce legislation that would require the United States and U.K. to “honor our current arrangements” until new bilateral deals are drafted. It also would direct the U.S. Trade Representative to begin negotiations “as soon as possible.”
Portman, who is a Finance Committee member and served as U.S. Trade Representative in the George W. Bush administration, also cautioned against trying to separate talks with Britain from ongoing trade talks with the EU.
“We need [the U.K.] to help us influence the rest of Europe to be open to our products,” Portman said, pointing out that Britain was “less protectionist” than many European countries and has been “a relatively positive force” in negotiating with Europe.
It is the administration’s job to negotiate trade deals and then submit them to Congress for approval. Last year, Congress renewed “fast-track” authority, which establishes a procedure under which Congress cannot amend the agreements and can approve the trade deals with a simple majority.
Britain is not expected to formally commence withdrawal proceedings until after a new prime minister is chosen to replace David Cameron, something that may not happen until October.
Democrats seemed uninterested in jumping into new trade negotiations until more of these uncertainties surrounding the Brexit are ironed out.
