H.Con.Res. 2 — Reclaiming Congress’s Constitutional Mandate in Trade Resolution

This section establishes the short title as the “Reclaiming Congress’s Constitutional Mandate in Trade Resolution.”

This section establishes a 14-member Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Trade Responsibilities, to be appointed not later than 60 days after adoption of the resolution, with 9 House members and 5 Senators drawn from the specified committees and party leaders, and authorizes the committee to develop a plan to transfer the functions and responsibilities of the Office of the United States Trade Representative to the legislative branch under article I, section 8 of the Constitution. It requires the committee to consult regularly with the Congressional Advisory Board on Trade Responsibilities, to submit a report containing the transfer plan not later than 16 months after all members are appointed, and to provide that the transfer would occur upon the later of 4 years after the report is submitted or July 1, 2028. It also authorizes the committee to meet beginning 90 days after adoption at the call of the chair or a majority of then-appointed members, to compel testimony and documents, to hire staff and use existing legislative branch resources, and to reimburse witnesses for travel and subsistence expenses. Finally, it provides for House and Senate funding of committee expenses and terminates the committee 1 year after it submits its report.

This section establishes a 21-member Congressional Advisory Board on Trade Responsibilities and requires the members to be appointed not later than 60 days after adoption of the resolution. The board is composed of 4 members appointed by the Speaker of the House, 4 by the Senate majority leader, 3 by the House minority leader, 3 by the Senate minority leader, 6 by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and the USTR or the USTR’s designee. Appointees must include 7 members with expertise on the constitutional roles of the President and Congress in U.S. trade policy and the development, negotiation, implementation, and administration of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, and 14 members representing non-Federal governments, labor, industry, agriculture, small business, service industries, retailers, nongovernmental environmental and conservation organizations, and consumer interests. The board is directed to advise the Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Trade Responsibilities in developing the plan required under section 2(c). Members serve without pay, but members who do not reside in the Washington Metropolitan Area are eligible for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, under 5 U.S.C. chapter 57, subchapter I. The board may not appoint staff, but the Joint Ad Hoc Committee may detail personnel to assist it. The board terminates 1 year after the Joint Ad Hoc Committee submits the report required under section 2(e).

This section directs the United States Trade Representative and other executive branch office heads to provide the Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Trade Responsibilities and the Congressional Advisory Board on Trade Responsibilities with the information and assistance they reasonably require to carry out their duties.