Press Releases

Today, Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the UK Parliament voted to reject Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal:

“Today, Prime Minister May presented her European Union Withdrawal Agreement to the UK Parliament, which voted the agreement down. I urge all sides to redouble their efforts to find a path forward that can, at the same time, respect the achievements of the European experiment, the will of the people of the United Kingdom, and the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement. I look forward to continuing to engage with my counterparts in both the UK and the EU as they navigate the challenges before them.”

Background

On June 23, 2016 voters in the United Kingdom decided in a referendum to leave the European Union. The UK officially notified the European Council of its intention to leave on March 29, 2017. The notification triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, which sets out the process for leaving and allowed talks on the withdrawal to begin. The UK and the EU agreed to a Withdrawal Agreement and a political declaration on future ties on November 14, 2018. The UK Parliament now must approve the agreement. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, 2019 whether or not the UK Parliament has approved the Withdrawal Agreement.

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