Ten House Republicans have voted against a non-binding memorial backing improved cooperation with Canada on trade and security, but HJM 13 passed the House, 56-10, and now moves to the Senate.  The memorial, co-sponsored by Reps. George Eskridge, R-Dover, and Max Black, R-Boise, and Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, recognizes that the U.S. and Canada are each other's largest single export market, and calls for Congress and the federal administration to work together to carry out the "Beyond the Border Action Plan" released in December 2011, pursuant to an initiative announced a year earlier by the president of the United States and the prime minister of Canada.

Eskridge told the House, "39,900 jobs in our state depend on Canada-U.S. trade; 34 Canadian-owned companies in Idaho employ 2,742 people. And in terms of Idaho exports, we sell more goods to Canada than to any other country in the world. These numbers point to an excellent opportunity to look to our closest neighbor to increase our jobs." The action plan is aimed at streamlining cross-border trade and travel while providing for improved intelligence sharing on security.

Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, expressed concerns about "cross-border policing" as part of the two nations' cooperative efforts, and opposed the measure, as did nine other House Republicans, including North idaho Reps. Phil Hart, R-Athol; Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton; and Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries.