The House Homeland Security Committee passed on June 11 the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act, along with a number of other Department of Homeland Security bills. If passed, the legislation would give formal congressional authorization for a number of CBP functions (see 14052101). The measure would mandate assessments of infrastructure needs at the 20 busiest U.S. ports of entry 180 days after the law takes effect. The CBP authorization legislation also would provide for additional congressional scrutiny of the CBP Office of Technology Innovation and Acquisition, along with other oversight directives. The committee sent the bill to the full House for consideration at a later undetermined date.
Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:
The House adjourned debate on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015, HR-4800 (here), on June 11, leaving the measure as unfinished business. The bill is tentatively scheduled to be taken up further next week. Lawmakers did not consider an amendment to prohibit funds to implement the U.S. Department of Agriculture Catfish Inspection Program (see 14061105). Lawmakers also did not consider an amendment to ban funds that would enforce any ban on aging cheese on wood (see 14061118). The two amendments were not formally filed because of procedural rules that place amendments that limit funds at the end of debate.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing June 11 on the nominations of Robert Adler as commissioner at the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Marcus Jadotte as International Trade Administration assistant secretary for industry and analysis. Adler currently is acting chairman of the CPSC, after being appointed to the agency in 2009. Jadotte served as the vice president of public affairs and multicultural development at NASCAR from 2011 to 2014, and previously served on congressional staffs.
The House Appropriations Committee approved by bipartisan voice vote on June 11 fiscal year (FY) 2015 appropriations legislation for the Department of Homeland Security. The measure includes nearly $8.3 billion in funds for CBP border security, immigration, customs, agricultural inspections, regulatory activities related to plant and animal imports, and other fundamental resources and operations. The draft bill mandates that $3.3 million should be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to fund CBP. The draft also directs $810.2 million, of which $446.6 million should remain available through FY16, to be spent on automation. Of the $810.2 million, $140.1 million should be reserved for development of the Automated Commercial Environment. The Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to consider or release counterpart legislation.
The U.S. agricultural industry continues to face a multitude of non-tariff trade barriers, such as unscientific sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and geographical indications, to exporting agricultural goods to the European Union and Asia-Pacific region, industry representatives told lawmakers at a June 11 House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade hearing. The representatives urged the lawmakers to apply pressure on the Obama administration to remove the barriers through Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., filed an amendment to fiscal year 2015 agriculture appropriations legislation that would prohibit funding for the controversial Department of Agriculture (USDA) Catfish Inspection Program. The full House is scheduled to consider the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015, HR-4800 (here), on June 11. Hartzler has been an outspoken critic of the program during recent legislative debates revolving around the program (see 13121124).
Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:
The Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank facilitates export sales and provides employment for hundreds of small to medium sized enterprises, despite criticism that the credit agency is subservient to corporate interests, said David Ickert, vice president of finance for Olney, Texas-based Air Tractor Inc. in a June 18 Dallas Morning News op-ed. Lawmakers continue to spar over reauthorization of the credit agency as its Sept. 30 expiration looms (see 14052123).
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies advanced fiscal year 2015 appropriations legislation on June 10 without amendment. The Appropriations Committee released the draft legislation the day before (see 14060916). The legislation would direct $1.1 billion to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund in order to support U.S. exports, and would fund total navigation projects and studies at $2.3 billion, the committee said.