Resolution calls for continued dialogue and a peaceful resolution to the Brexit process, with particular emphasis on preventing a hard border
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Long Island, Queens) introduced a House Resolution supporting the Good Friday Agreement in the face of Brexit so we can ensure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. The lead Republican sponsor is Suozzi’s Long Island colleague Congressman Peter King (R-NY). The resolution specifically:
- Urges the United Kingdom and European Union to ensure that Brexit does not threaten peace on the island of Ireland
- Strongly opposes the reintroduction of a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
- Insists that any trade agreements between the United States and United Kingdom are contingent on meeting the Good Friday Agreement’s obligations
- Calls for continued dialogue between all parties in Northern Ireland in order to overcome political challenges and get power-sharing institutions operating again
- Expresses support for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement in order to fulfill the Martin McGuinness Principles: Equality, Truth, Respect, and Self-Determination
“Ireland is one of the oldest and closest friends of the United States, and the Irish people have been a crucial part of the fabric of our nation for well over a century. We need to ensure that Brexit and other political challenges don’t threaten the peace process by reintroducing a hard border,” said Congressman Suozzi. “As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over any trade agreements between the United States and United Kingdom, I will fight to make a soft border and implementation of the Good Friday Agreement requirements for any negotiation.”
In addition to being a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Suozzi is also a member of the bipartisan Friends of Ireland. On September 12, Suozzi joined Congressman Richard Neal, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and Friends of Ireland, for a meeting with Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator Conor Murphy on the status of Brexit and the peace process.
