Two American senators have introduced a bill to congress to preserve all trade deals with Britain after Brexit, and called on President Barack Obama to immediately begin negotiating new deals between the countries.
The proposed “United Kingdom Trade Continuity Act” is designed to force the U.S. government to continue all existing trade agreements with the UK as if it were still part of the EU, and calls on President Obama to begin negotiations for new bilateral deals within 30 days of being enacted.
The bill is proposed by Utah senator Mike Lee and Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, both Republicans.
Commenting on the proposal, Senator Lee said: “Our nation’s special relationship with the United Kingdom has promoted economic prosperity and security in both countries for over a hundred years.
“This relationship can and should be preserved, which is why we have introduced legislation that would minimize uncertainty and promote stability as the United Kingdom declares their independence from the European Union.”
Senator Cotton added: “The United Kingdom has stood with us at the front lines of battle, and it should therefore be at the front of the line for a free trade agreement that benefits both our nations.”
“At this time of transition for our ancestral ally, it is in our deepest interest to reaffirm the Special Relationship. And it is my hope that our other European allies will also move in the spirit of magnanimity, generosity, and continued friendship as they negotiate new partnerships with the United Kingdom.”
Senator Lee was one of three U.S. senators to condemn President Obama for telling the UK to stay in the EU.
In a joint letter with Ted Cruz and Jeff Sessions, Senator Lee wrote that the was “disturbed” by the President’s intervention, adding: “The United States, as a nation founded on the sovereign and democratic voice of the American people, must respect the sovereignty of other democratic peoples, and their inalienable right to determine their own destiny.
“Any interference in their decision can only harm our relationship.”
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