H.Res. 713 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 713 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 4, 2014 Mr. Sherman (for himself, Mr. Royce, Mr. Engel, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Keating, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Cook, Mr. Israel, Mr. Stockman, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Long, Ms. Bass, Mr. Turner, Ms. Frankel of Florida, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Cárdenas, Mr. Costa, Ms. Hahn, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Thompson of California, Ms. Speier, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, and Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Recognizing the friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States and expressing the support of the House of Representatives for a united, secure, and prosperous United Kingdom. Whereas the history and friendship between the people of the United States and the people of the United Kingdom includes nearly two and a half centuries of cultural, political, military, economic, and diplomatic relations; Whereas this relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is based on shared values of democracy, individual freedom, and the rule of law; Whereas British statesman Winston Churchill in 1946 labeled the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom the Special Relationship because of the unprecedented depth of cooperation and the extensive historic ties between the two nations; Whereas throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries, the United States and the United Kingdom fought together in several struggles, including the First and Second World Wars, in which millions of American and British soldiers sacrificed for their countries; Whereas millions of Americans have Scottish roots and identify with their Scottish ancestry, and Scottish people and culture have had a profound effect on the United States throughout its history; Whereas the 300th anniversary of the Union of Scotland and England occurred on May 1, 2007; Whereas the United Kingdom, a nation of over 63 million people, is the world's sixth-largest economy and an influential power with cultural, economic, and political influence around the world; Whereas in the United Kingdom, a system of devolution provides a statutory granting of powers from the Parliament of the United Kingdom to the Scottish Parliament and its executive body, the Scottish Government; Whereas in accordance with an agreement between the Scottish Government and the United Kingdom Government, a referendum will be held in Scotland on September 18, 2014, on whether Scotland should be an independent country; and Whereas on June 5, 2014, speaking alongside the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, said the United States has a deep interest in making sure that one of the closest allies we will ever have remains a strong, robust, united and effective partner: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) believes that a united, secure, and prosperous United Kingdom is important for U.S. national security priorities in Europe and around the world; (2) believes that diplomatic, economic, and military cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom in bilateral, trans-Atlantic, and global arenas is essential to the national security of the United States; (3) expresses deep friendship toward the Scottish people; (4) respects the right of the Scottish people to make their decision regarding their status in the September 18, 2014, referendum; (5) expresses a firm commitment to continued cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom toward a more peaceful and prosperous world; and (6) expresses support for a united, secure, and prosperous United Kingdom.