The nine Senate Finance Committee Democrats asked President Donald Trump to direct agency leaders to disclose more information on trade negotiations in Jan. 12 letter. "Recent decisions by the Administration to begin trade negotiations with Korea without complying with basic transparency requirements set out in U.S. law and the failure of the Administration to release several trade-related reports raise serious questions regarding the Administration's commitment to openness with the American public when it comes to trade policy," said the group. There's been a lack of consultations "with Congress regarding how sensitive products will be addressed in the negotiations (including sensitive agricultural products and textiles)," the Senators said. The public "has been kept in the dark as to the Administration's specific intentions regarding the renegotiation of a free trade agreement that is second only to NAFTA in size."
A bipartisan group of lawmakers asked House leadership in a Jan. 11 letter to move quickly on the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act. The MTB should be "either included in the emerging budget and spending package, as part of another package, or as a standalone measure," the 34 House members said. The MTB legislation was introduced in the Senate and House in November (see 1711090039). "We urge you and your leadership teams to act now to improve the competitiveness of manufacturers throughout the United States by passing the MTB legislation as soon as possible, as well as renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences."
The American Apparel and Footwear Association offered support for the Optimal Use of Trade to Develop Outerwear and Outdoor Recreation (OUTDOOR) Act, in a Jan. 2 letter to Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. "With the likelihood that Congress will consider a trade package this year, we are excited about the possibility of the U.S. OUTDOOR Act being passed and signed into law," AAFA CEO Rick Helfenbein said in the letter. Blunt and Cantwell introduced the legislation over the summer (see 1708140031). "The bill has been thoroughly vetted with the domestic textile and apparel industry to ensure that none of the products covered by the bill are made in the U.S.," Helfenbein said. "We support the U.S. OUTDOOR Act because it eliminates the unnecessary and excessively high tariffs on recreational performance apparel that no longer serve their intended purpose. The U.S. OUTDOOR Act will help make these products more affordable for companies to produce, encourage more Americans to get outdoors, and fuel innovation ... helping the U.S. apparel industry and its millions of American workers."
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., won't seek re-election in November, he said in a tweet.
Nearly 400 companies and trade groups signed a Jan. 4 letter to congressional leadership asking for a quick renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. "A retroactive GSP renewal fits squarely on a Congressional agenda to pass legislation that benefits American families, workers, and companies," the group said in the letter. "The sooner it happens and tariffs paid already are refunded, the sooner we return our focus to making competitive American products, providing consumers with goods at affordable prices, and growing the U.S. economy."
The Senate sent Kevin McAleenan's nomination for CBP commissioner back to the White House under rules for nominations the chamber doesn't act on before the end of an annual session. The White House must resubmit McAleenan's nomination for the Senate to consider it during 2018. The Senate Finance Committee approved McAleenan's nomination in December (see 1712070058), but will need to sign off again on the nomination after it is resubmitted. "We expect he will be renominated," a Senate Finance Committee spokeswoman said. Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, plans to work with ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., "and members of the Committee to move Mr. McAleenan forward as efficiently as possible," she said. The Senate also sent back the nominations of Ann Marie Buerkle to be chairman and Dana Baiocco to be a commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, will retire after his term ends this year, he said in a Jan. 2 video. Hatch became the top Republican on the committee in 2011.
Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., expressed concern to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb that his agency is scaling back its “non-enforcement policy” currently allowing for limited personal importation of prescription drugs, Klobuchar’s office announced Dec. 26. The “non-enforcement policy” for patients with a valid prescription has been FDA’s position “for many years,” including its 2016 Regulatory Procedures Manual, the senators wrote in a recent letter to Gottlieb. “Thousands” of constituents have complained about “skyrocketing” prescription drug prices in the U.S., and the senators asked the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year to use statutory authority to allow personal imports of prescription drugs.
The Senate and House passed sweeping tax legislation on Dec. 20, sending the bill to the White House for signature. H.R. 1 would cut excise taxes on beer, wine and distilled spirits in 2018 and 2019, and relax requirements for beer and spirits to avoid tax liability when transported in bond. The White House didn’t immediately comment on when President Donald Trump might sign the legislation. H.R. 1 “represents an extraordinary victory for American families, workers, and businesses,” Trump said in a statement. “By cutting taxes and reforming the broken system, we are now pouring rocket fuel into the engine of our economy.”
Lawmakers recently introduced the following trade-related bills: