Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Ohio, will take the reins of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee in the next Congress, incoming committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced on Dec. 4 (here). Current trade subcommittee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is leaving his post as subcommittee head after Speaker of the House John Boehner tapped him to lead the House Select Committee on Intelligence in November.
The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade is set to hold a Dec. 10 hearing on the Obama administration's policies toward controlling Russian arms exports (here). State Department Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller, and Defense Department Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Policy Brian McKeon, are scheduled to testify.
The Obama administration’s resistance to the harmonization of financial regulations in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership best serves the American people by preserving the U.S. ability to safeguard the country from financial instability, said four House Democrats, including Financial Services Committee ranking member Maxine Waters, D-Calif., on Dec. 1 (here). The lawmakers said in the letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew that the administration must avoid damaging financial service market access and capital control agreements in TTIP.
The House passed on Dec. 3 the high-profile tax extenders legislation with an overwhelmingly supportive 378-46 vote in favor, but the measure advanced without amendment and is now sent to the Senate. Some trade supporters hoped lawmakers would tack trade bills, such as Generalized System of Preferences renewal, onto the extenders legislation. Senate Democratic leadership have not yet scheduled a vote on the tax bill.
The Senate confirmed Robert Adler to serve another term on the Consumer Product Safety Commission in a partisan vote on Dec. 2 (here). His new term will expire on Oct. 27, 2014. Democrats made up the 53 votes in favor of Adler. All Republicans that voted in the chamber, as well as Democratic caucus member, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine., voted to oppose the confirmation. Adler's first term at CPSC began in 2009.
More than 200 farm, labor, manufacturing and other grassroots organizations urged Senate appropriators to shoot down any attempts to “weaken, suspend or rescind” country-of-origin labeling in fiscal year 2015 appropriations. The World Trade Organization sided again with Canada and Mexico in the COOL dispute in October, but the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative appealed the decision in late November (see 1411280029). Business groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers, are urging Congress to provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture authority to rescind the COOL regulations that the WTO ruled inconsistent with global trade rules. Those organizations fear Canada and Mexico will cause serious damage to the U.S. economy through retaliatory tariffs. “Congress should not short circuit the WTO process; nor should it unconditionally surrender to the threats of tariff retaliation by our trading partners,” said the letter. “We believe the United States has strong grounds to appeal the most recent WTO ruling.” Congress has until Dec. 11 to pass appropriations legislation necessary to keep the government running.
Outgoing House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., introduced legislation on Dec. 1 to retroactively renew a set of tax breaks for only one year, following a White House veto threat on a tax extender package previously brokered between Camp and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Trade supporters have eyed the tax extenders bill as a possible vehicle for Generalized System of Preferences renewal, along with other trade legislation (see 1411170027). But President Barack Obama and a chorus of Democrats assailed the Camp-Reid deal as serving predominately large corporations.
Twenty-two senators signed on to a letter sent to the Senate Committee on Appropriations asking for fiscal year 2015 energy and water appropriations legislation to include harbor maintenance funding to meet 2014 dredging commitments, said the American Association of Port Authorities (here). The letter (here) asks that the legislation include an increased use of harbor maintenance trust fees to help maintain shipping lanes. A similar letter was circulated earlier this month (see 1411170059).
Congress should soon pass a law that would allow the Department of Agriculture to amend its country of origin regime for beef and pork meat in the event of an adverse ruling from the World Trade Organization, said the COOL Reform Coalition in a letter to Congress dated Nov. 21 (here). Echoing calls made earlier this month by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a coalition member, the letter said such a law would allow USDA to act quickly and avoid retaliatory tariff hikes from Canada and Mexico in the event the WTO finds fault with U.S. implementation of its previous rulings on COOL. The WTO initially ruled U.S. COOL regulations illegal in July 2012 (see 12070208), and on Oct. 20 found changes USDA made to the program in 2013 did not do enough to bring the U.S. into compliance (see 1410200033).
Incoming House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., should put Trade Promotion Authority and the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill at the top of his priorities when he takes over the committee, said the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates in a statement (here). Passing "TPA would not only 'fast-track' ratification of our pending free trade agreements, it would also help ensure the best possible outcomes from the negotiations and give Congress opportunities for input and oversight," the trade group said. "Our industry would see new markets open up for our products through expanded trade and elimination of non-tariff barriers—which means increased investment, growth and jobs." The group also hopes to see movement on the MTB, it said.