Reclaiming Congress’s Constitutional Mandate in Trade Resolution

HCONRES 6 establishes a Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Trade Responsibilities to study moving the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) functions to Congress. The committee, composed of 14 members from House and Senate trade committees, must develop a plan within 16 months for transferring USTR duties to the legislative branch, citing Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. It will consult a Congressional Advisory Board of 21 experts representing trade stakeholders and government interests. The plan must be submitted by the committee by July 1, 2024, or 4 years after the report, whichever is later. This is a procedural resolution focused on studying a potential constitutional shift - not an immediate policy change.