Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., expressed doubt during a March 8 hearing that CBP could hire the 2,000 additional CBP officers programmed in the Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal 2017 budget. CBP has fallen short of employment goals since at least fiscal 2014, she said. CBP’s budget for that year called for funding to hire the same number of officers, which the agency has been unable to do.
Lawmakers recently introduced the following trade-related bills:
Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, on March 3 said (here) he is reluctant to support the Agriculture Department’s request for a $4.5 million increase in Lacey Act enforcement funding for fiscal 2017. “I have trouble supporting such an increase at the expense of higher priority and more effective animal and plant health programs, many of which the agency has proposed to decrease,” Aderholt said during a subcommittee hearing on USDA’s fiscal 2017 budget request for its Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “It is this subcommittee’s responsibility to ensure that the additional funds being requested for several initiatives are not to the detriment of critical and successful programs.” The additional funds would be used to support electronic filing of Lacey Act declarations, providing law enforcement agencies improved access to declarations and helping prevent the importation of products derived from illegally harvested timber (see 1602100038).
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called for U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman to urge Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to raise his country’s de minimis level to at least $150.52 (CA$200), when the Trudeau visits Washington on March 10. While Canada’s proximity to the U.S. often makes it the first foreign market that small- and medium-sized businesses contemplate for export, the country’s low de minimis level of CA$20 is a “distinct disadvantage” to companies that try to export to Canada, the Senators said (here). The most disadvantaged goods usually are “relatively low value items where the either the duty or costs associated with formal entry can effectively kill the sale,” the senators wrote. EBay is also be interested in such a change, it said recently (see 1601270013).
Congress is continuing efforts to broker dialogue between U.S. stakeholders on the enforcement and implementation of container weight verfication requirements, Senate staffers said in an interview. Over the past month, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee worked to fact-find and facilitate dialogue between shippers, carriers, marine terminal operators, the Coast Guard, and the Federal Maritime Commission, a committee staffer said. As part of its oversight responsibility, Congress is working to help all groups directly involved to strengthen communications with one another and to gain a common understanding of what bearing the Safety of the Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) amendments could have on global supply chains (see 1602160039). “We’re pleased with the recent dialogue and progress, but we're not out of the woods yet,” said the staffer.
A bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers on March 1 introduced versions of legislation aimed at taking another step toward expanding CBP preclearance facilities at land, marine, air, and rail ports of departure in Canada (here). The bill would give the U.S. jurisdiction over prosecutable incidents involving U.S. personnel in Canada, per the terms of the preclearance agreement signed with Canada in March 2015 (see 1503160009), said a fact sheet from Leahy's office (here). Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Leahy introduced the Senate version of the "Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act." Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Annie Kuster, D-N.H., introduced the House version of the bill. According to Leahy's press release (here), the bill helps set the stage for U.S.-Canada talks during the upcoming visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Lawmakers recently introduced the following trade-related bills
Consumer Product Safety Commission commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle voiced frustration to House lawmakers on Feb. 25 over the agency’s proposed collection of user fees from importers to finance a new import screening system, and challenged the constitutionality of the potential federal action. “I continue to believe that our imposition of fees could and would and should raise constitutional concerns,” she said during a hearing of the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. “We have a risk assessment methodology. So we apply that risk. Some products are subject to that. Some are not. And some fall prey and they get pulled because they’re high-risk. And so our benefit is only for some.” She said not all of industry will derive the same benefits from the fees, which means the user fee is a tax. CPSC doesn’t have the authority to levy taxes.
Acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Ostroff on Feb. 25 called on House appropriators to fully fund the agency’s fiscal 2017 budget request, saying that FDA couldn’t implement the Food Safety Modernization Act without the additional $211.6 million requested for food safety. “Now that the rules are final, this is a make-or-break year for FSMA,” Ostroff said during an FDA budget hearing hosted by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies. “Without full funding, FDA would be unable to put into place the necessary programs, standards, and oversight, and to bring the FSMA from a concept to reality.”
The Senate voted 89-4 on Feb. 24 to confirm Robert Califf to serve as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, earlier this month lifted her hold on the nominee, after receiving assurances from FDA that it is taking the matter of genetically engineered salmon, or “Frankenfish,” seriously. Murkowski said she would block Califf’s nomination in November after the FDA’s approval of the fish for human consumption (see 1602120042 and 1602010018).