A bill introduced last Congress to revamp the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill process by requiring companies to send duty-suspension proposals directly to the International Trade Commission may still be an opportunity to sidestep a critical hang-up for MTB movement, the sponsor of the bill, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told International Trade Today recently. A Republican moratorium on earmarks has so far obstructed MTB renewal, and industry representatives are scrambling for its renewal (see 1411190032). Portman introduced the Temporary Duty Suspension Process Act in both previous congresses, alongside Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., but the legislation didn’t advance (see 12071825). “We’ve got a bipartisan solution that has it go back to the ITC for a review, and that way its not subject to the criticism that it’s a rifle shot because ultimately Congress shouldn’t be making a decision that can be made by the ITC just on the data,” he said. No lawmakers have introduced the legislation so far this Congress. Portman said the bill could advance as part of a Trade Promotion Authority package or by some other means.
Presidential pressure on Congressional Democrats to support Trade Promotion Authority is critical to moving that legislation in the near future, said Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 20 (here). Hatch spoke hours before President Barack Obama delivered his 2015 State of the Union. The speech focused predominantly on tax reform, another central policy area in the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction, and also touched on healthcare and pension overhaul.
Senate Republicans used a procedural motion on Jan. 20 to block an amendment to the Keystone pipeline legislation that would require only U.S.-produced construction materials are used in the project, the chamber's Minority Leader Harry Reid said after the vote (here). A staffer for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, hit back at that accusation. The motion, called "tabling," is a common practice in the Senate, the spokesman said. Murkowski is a primary supporter of the Keystone bill. Earlier in the day, Senate Democrats rallied support for the construction material amendment, as well as an amendment to require all petroleum and petroleum goods produced through the pipeline are sold in the U.S. (see 1501190005). The petroleum measure was also tabled.
The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on U.S. trade policy on Jan. 27, committee Chairman Paul Ryan said on Jan. 20 (here). The statement didn't name witnesses, though Trade Promotion Authority may be a topic for the hearing, after Ryan stressed the need to quickly pass TPA in recent days (see 1501160007).
Lawmakers introduced the following trade-related bills International Trade Today's last legislative update:
Three Democratic senators rallied support on Jan. 20 to tack an amendment on the Keystone XL pipeline legislation that would require only U.S.-produced materials are to be used in the project’s construction. The amendment will help to ensure the project creates American jobs and benefits the U.S. economy, said Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Al Franken, D-Minn., and Ed Markey, D-Mass., in a press conference. While vowing to still oppose the legislation as a whole, the lawmakers also touted a measure to mandate petroleum and petroleum goods produced by the pipeline are sold in the U.S.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., appointed Reps. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., and Suzan Delbene, D-Wash., to the President’s Export Council, her office said on Jan. 15 (here). The Speaker of the House typically appoints members from that chamber, the Export Council says (here).
Ranking member on the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., introduced a bill on Jan. 15 to repeal Helms-Burton and put in place other measures to normalize U.S. relations with Cuba, Rangel’s office said (here). Helms-Burton, officially known as Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity, codifies Cuban sanctions. More than a dozen other House Democrats joined Rangel in introducing The Free Trade with Cuba Act, his office said. The introduction comes in the wake of the Commerce and Treasury department changes to Cuban export and import policy, which followed President Barack Obama’s executive action to liberalize trade and travel with Cuba in December (see 1501150031). The Rangel bill would formally lift the U.S. embargo on Cuba, his office said, adding that Rangel first introduced the measure in 1993. Rangel’s office did not respond immediately with the text of the bill, but a past version (here) would make sweeping changes to U.S. law, while reserving the right to impose sanctions.
House Republicans are prepared to move on Trade Promotion Authority “now,” said new House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in a Jan. 15 committee press release on the legislation’s merits (here). “TPA is the essential first step for expanding American exports and helping create new jobs,” said the release.
The conservative organizations aiming to obstruct Trade Promotion Authority are not swaying Republican support for the legislation, said Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America President Matt Priest on Jan. 15, noting that no lawmakers attended their anti-TPA press conference held in recent days. The conservative organizations rejected TPA in the Jan. 13 press conference and a letter to lawmakers (see 1501140011). Democrats have also ramped up pressure to defeat TPA (see 1501090022).