Democratic leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee questioned whether the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) knowingly allowed drugs suspected of being fraudulently approved and manufactured in gross violation of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to continue being sold by Ranbaxy, Inc., in the U.S. (News release, dated 07/17/08, available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110nr318.shtml.)
On July 15, 2008, the House agreed to the Senate's amendment of H.R. 3890 with amendments pursuant to H. Res. 1341. (H.R. 3890 is the Burma Democracy Promotion Act, a bill to impose sanctions on officials of the State Peace and Development Council in Burma, to amend the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 to prohibit the importation of gemstones and hardwoods from Burma, to promote a coordinated international effort to restore civilian democratic rule to Burma, and for other purposes.) (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/28/07 and 01/09/08 news, 07122810 and 08010915, for previous BP summary on H.R. 3890.) (H.R. 3890 details available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR03890:@@@X)
On July 14, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1182, to express the sense of the House that American flags flown on Federal Government buildings and on Federal property be made in the U.S. (Congressional Record, dated 07/14/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080714).)
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has issued a press release containing a statement by Committee Chairman Dingell and Chairman of the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee Rush, commending the Consumer Product Safety Commission's import safety strategy. (See ITT's Online Archive or 07/03/08 news, 08070307, for BP summary of CPSC import safety strategy.) (Press release, dated 07/02/08, available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110nr309.shtml.)
President Bush has issued a proclamation lifting the application of the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) with respect to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and notified Congress of his intent to rescind North Korea's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. These actions were taken following North Korea's submission of a declaration of its nuclear programs, which will now be subject to verification.
Yahoo! News Canada reports that South Korea says it will move slowly in allowing back U.S. beef imports so as to calm an angry public that has staged mass street protests for weeks against the product. (The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced on June 21, 2008 that the two countries had reached a commercial understanding that only U.S. beef from cattle under 30 months of age will be shipped to Korea as a "transitional" measure, to improve Korean confidence in U.S. beef.) (Yahoo! News Canada, dated 06/23/08, available at http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/080623/world/international_korea_usa_beef_dc)
Treasury Secretary Paulson will attend a day of meetings hosted by theMexican Finance Minister on Tuesday to discuss regional finance and economic issues. (Treasury Dept. press release, HP-1045, dated 06/19/08, available at http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp1045.htm)
On June 18, 2008, the House and Senate overrode President Bush's veto of H.R. 6124, the "complete" (i.e., all 15 titles) version of the Farm Bill, enacting previously omitted Title III into law. (See ITT's Online Archives or 06/09/08 and 05/23/08 news, 08060999 1 and 08052399 1, for BP summaries of the Senate and House passage of H.R. 6124.) (President's veto message, dated 06/18/08, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080618-1.html)
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule1, effective June 10, 2008, amending the penalty provisions of 17 sanctions programs to reflect amendments made by Public Law 110-962 to the penalty provisions of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a news release announcing that the Bush Administration is amending its budget request for fiscal year 2009 to include an additional $275 million for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HHS also posted a fact sheet on investing in FDA's transformation. (HHS press release, dated 06/09/08, available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/06/20080609a.html; HHS fact sheet, dated 06/09/08, available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/fdatransformation.html.)