,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #abf  ,,in ,,the      
,,house ,,of ,,representatives          
,december #i1 #bjbj,mr4 ,newhouse 7for  
himself1 ,mr4 ,schrader1 and ,mr4       
,walden7 submitted the following        
concurrent resolution2 which was        
referred to the ,committee on ,foreign  
,affairs  ,,concurrent ,,resolution     
,expressing the sense of the ,congress  
that the ,president should direct the   
,secretary of ,state to immediately     
issue a notice of intent to terminate   
the commercial and power coordination   
provisions of the ,columbia ,river      
,treaty between the ,united ,states and 
,canada4  ,whereas the ,u4,s4 ,entity   
,regional ,recommendation for the       
,future of the ,columbia ,river ,treaty 
after #bjbd was issued in ,december     
#bjac calling for the prompt            
renegotiation of the ,columbia ,river   
,treaty between the ,united ,states and 
,canada2 ,whereas ,article ,,xix of the 
,columbia ,river ,treaty allows the     

,united ,states to issue a #aj-year     
advance notice of its intent to         
terminate the commercial and power      
coordination provisions of the ,treaty2 
,whereas the first opportunity for the  
,united ,states to issue a termination  
notice was in #bjad2 ,whereas the ,u4,s4
 ,entity ,regional ,recommendation for  
the ,future of the ,columbia ,river     
,treaty after #bjbd called upon the     
,united ,states to pursue other options 
absent a renegotiated ,treaty by #bjae2 
,whereas the ,united ,states and ,canada
 did not commence negotiations to       
modernize the ,columbia ,river ,treaty  
until #bjah2 ,whereas the ,united       
,states and ,canada have conducted #aj  
rounds of ,columbia ,river ,treaty      
negotiations since early #bjah1         
including only two negotiating sessions 
in #bjbj2 ,whereas the ,columbia ,river 
,treaty requires that ,northwest        
electric ratepayers in the ,states of   
,idaho1 ,montana1 ,oregon1 and          
,washington annually send between #aej  

and #bej million of clean1 renewable    
,united ,states hydropower north to     
,british ,columbia2 ,whereas in return1 
,canada provides the ,united ,states    
with a hydropower operation that creates
 less than #ae million in value2        
,whereas the ,united ,states            
,government's failure to issue the      
termination notice in #bjad1 pursuant to
 ,article ,,xix of the ,columbia ,river 
,treaty1 has cost ,northwest electric   
ratepayers approximately #a billion to  
date1 a figure that grows each day2     
,whereas the notice of intent to        
terminate the commercial and power      
coordination provisions under ,article  
,,xix of the ,columbia ,river ,treaty   
does not impact the ,treaty's flood     
control provisions2 and ,whereas the    
issuance of the notice of intent to     
terminate the commercial and power      
coordination provisions initiates a     
#aj-year period for the ,united ,states 
and ,canada to negotiate a modernized   
,treaty equitable to both countries     

before any changes to the current       
,treaty enter into force3 ,now1         
therefore1 be it ,that it is the sense  
of the ,congress that the ,president    
should direct the ,secretary of ,state  
to immediately issue a notice of intent 
to terminate the commercial and power   
coordination provisions of the ,columbia
 ,river ,treaty between the ,united     
,states and ,canada4