The House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2014 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill May 22, proposing an increase of $35 million over the President’s budget request, it said. The move would allow CBP to hire 1,600 additional officers, “as requested, in part, in the White House fiscal year 2014 budget,” said the National Treasury Employees Union.
Recent lobbyist registrations on trade issues are:
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreed May 21 that more work needs to be done to secure the supply chain for communications network equipment, they said during House cybersecurity hearings. The House Communications Subcommittee said it launched a supply chain security working group this week, co-chaired by Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich. Last year Rogers urged the U.S. government and American companies to avoid doing business with Huawei and ZTE because of what he said are long-term security risks associated with the companies. Also participating in the working group are: Reps. Bob Latta, R-Ohio; Mike Doyle, D-Pa.; Lee Terry, R-Neb.; Ben Lujan, D-N.M.; Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; and Jim Matheson, D-Utah.
Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:
The Senate Finance Committee scheduled a May 22 hearing on the customs reauthorization bill, introduced by Committee leaders Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in March. The hearing, at 10 a.m. EDT, will feature testimony from David Cooper, global customs compliance manager at Procter & Gamble; Clark Silcox, general counsel and secretary of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association; William Cook, director of worldwide logistics and customs at Chrysler Group; and Mary Ann Comstock, brokerage compliance manager at UPS Supply Chain Solutions. See 13032906 for more on S-662, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act.
A group of House Democrats are urging major U.S. retailers to sign an international agreement to uphold safety standards in foreign factories, in wake of the devastating factory collapse in Bangladesh. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander Levin, D-Mich., among others, signed the letters. They were sent to nine U.S. retailers: The Gap, Target, JCPenney, The Children’s Place, Walmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Sears/Kmart and VF Corporation. The letter asks the retailers to sign the May 12 Accord on Fire and Building Safety, partially developed by the Worker Rights Consortium. “For any solution to be effective, all the key stakeholders … need to be at the table,” the letters said. “Part of the solution, in our view, has to be a fully enforceable agreement under which major U.S. and European brands commit to sourcing from Bangladesh under conditions that ensure workers have basic health and safety protections.” The May 12 accord requires signatories to develop, finance and implement a fire and safety building program in Bangladesh for five years. It includes a provision for an independent safety inspector, and requires companies to compensate employees should factories close for safety renovations. The accord has already been signed by about 30 companies including H&M, Primark, Esprit and Abercrombie & Fitch. Read the accord (here).
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America urged the Senate Finance Committee to “move forward with all deliberate speed” in marking up the customs reauthorization bill, in a May 14 letter from NCBFAA to Committee leaders Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. The committee should hold hearings on the bill -- S-622, introduced in March -- making adjustments and marking it up, the letter said. “As the leading voice for customs brokers and their importer clients -- large, medium and small businesses -- you have our commitment to support your efforts to shape a balanced and forward looking bill.” See 13032906 for more on the Senate bill.
The Senate unanimously confirmed Dr. Ernest Moniz as the Energy Department Secretary on May 16.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., noted the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement's entry into force by touting international trade increases with the country. Between May 2012, when the FTA went into effect, and February 2013, U.S. goods exports to Colombia increased 20 percent to $15.9 billion and agricultural exports to Colombia increased nearly 62 percent to $1.26 billion during the same period, said Baucus' office in a press release. “The export gains the United States is seeing after only one year with the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement in place are just the beginning," said Baucus. “This is a success story for us to remember as we pursue trade agreements with the EU and our partners across the Pacific. These agreements are about supporting jobs in America -- that’s the bottom line.”
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation announced hearing dates for the nominations of Anthony Foxx to be Transportation Secretary and Penny Pritzker to be Secretary of Commerce. Foxx's hearing will be May 22 at 2 p.m. Pritzker's hearing will be May 23 at 11 a.m.