House to Hold MTB Vote Under Suspension Next Week
The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016 is set to be voted on by House lawmakers on the House floor under suspension of the rules next week, said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. (here). Votes under suspension of the rules allow for speedy approval. “American manufacturers can’t wait any longer to be relieved from the extra tax burden that has been placed on them the past few years—a tax burden that costs our economy $2 billion every year,” McCarthy said in his post. According to an email sent from McCarthy’s office to stakeholders, the House currently plans to consider the bill on April 27, though industry officials have said a suspension vote could happen either April 26 or 27. The House Ways and Means Committee approved the miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) process legislation on April 20 (see 1604200021).
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The Senate Finance Committee has not scheduled a vote on its companion bill yet, but one industry executive working on the issue said the committee plans to forgo markup because of the bill’s similarity to provisions included in the Senate’s version of the customs reauthorization bill introduced by Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. “Given the strong bicameral, bipartisan support for the MTB process reform bill, [Senate Finance] Chairman [Orrin] Hatch, [R-Utah], who introduced the companion bill in the Senate, is hopeful the Senate will be able to consider the measure once it clears the House,” a Senate Finance spokeswoman said in an email. The industry executive also said senators hope to raise the bill on the Senate floor under unanimous consent procedures after the legislation passes the House.