ABSTRACT
This chapter explains that for the foreseeable future, the realities have largely eliminated the basis for the kinds of bipartisan, large-scale agreements contributing to the substantial extension or "deepening" of North American integration. It considers the constitutional and institutional positions that make any movement toward deeper North American integration subject to Congressional authorization and oversight, often as subsets of US domestic policies and politics. It suggests that the likelihood of constructive Congressional engagement with bilateral or North American policy processes depends on the interaction of broader presidential agendas with those of relevant Congressional party and committee leaders, which, in turn, are driven largely by internal and domestic political considerations. Congressional leaders have long insisted on establishing conditions and limits on the delegation of power through international agreements, or to international institutions, to secure their own constitutionally mandated powers.
