§ 3535. Review of participation in WTO

(a) Report on operation of WTO

The first annual report submitted to the Congress under section 3534 of this title—

(1) after the end of the 5-year period beginning on the date on which the WTO Agreement enters into force with respect to the United States, and

(2) after the end of every 5-year period thereafter,

shall include an analysis of the effects of the WTO Agreement on the interests of the United States, the costs and benefits to the United States of its participation in the WTO, and the value of the continued participation of the United States in the WTO.

(b) Congressional disapproval of U.S. participation in WTO

(1) General rule

The approval of the Congress, provided under section 3511 (a) of this title, of the WTO Agreement shall cease to be effective if, and only if, a joint resolution described in subsection (c) of this section is enacted into law pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2).

(2) Procedural provisions

(A) The requirements of this paragraph are met if the joint resolution is enacted under subsection (c) of this section, and—

(i) the Congress adopts and transmits the joint resolution to the President before the end of the 90-day period (excluding any day described in section 2194 (b) of this title), beginning on the date on which the Congress receives a report referred to in subsection (a) of this section, and

(ii) if the President vetoes the joint resolution, each House of Congress votes to override that veto on or before the later of the last day of the 90-day period referred to in clause (i) or the last day of the 15-day period (excluding any day described in section 2194 (b) of this title) beginning on the date on which the Congress receives the veto message from the President.

(B) A joint resolution to which this section applies may be introduced at any time on or after the date on which the President transmits to the Congress a report described in subsection (a) of this section, and before the end of the 90-day period referred to in subparagraph (A).

(1) Joint resolutions

For purposes of this section, the term “joint resolution” means only a joint resolution of the 2 Houses of Congress, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: “That the Congress withdraws its approval, provided under section 101(a) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, of the WTO Agreement as defined in section 2(9) of that Act.”

(2) Procedures

(A) Joint resolutions may be introduced in either House of the Congress by any member of such House.

(B) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, the provisions of subsections (b), (d), (e), and (f) of section 2192 of this title apply to joint resolutions to the same extent as such provisions apply to resolutions under such section.

(C) If the committee of either House to which a joint resolution has been referred has not reported it by the close of the 45th day after its introduction (excluding any day described in section 2194 (b) of this title), such committee shall be automatically discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution and it shall be placed on the appropriate calendar.

(D) It is not in order for—

(i) the Senate to consider any joint resolution unless it has been reported by the Committee on Finance or the committee has been discharged under subparagraph (C); or

(ii) the House of Representatives to consider any joint resolution unless it has been reported by the Committee on Ways and Means or the committee has been discharged under subparagraph (C).

(E) A motion in the House of Representatives to proceed to the consideration of a joint resolution may only be made on the second legislative day after the calendar day on which the Member making the motion announces to the House his or her intention to do so.

(3) Consideration of second resolution not in order

It shall not be in order in either the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider a joint resolution (other than a joint resolution received from the other House), if that House has previously adopted a joint resolution under this section.

(d) Rules of House of Representatives and Senate

This section is enacted by the Congress—

(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, and such procedures supersede other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent with such other rules; and

(2) with the full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedures of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as any other rule of that House.

U.S. Code

§ 3535. Review of participation in WTO