The following are the trade-related hearings scheduled from March 19-23, 2012:
On March 8, 2012 the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:
On March 21, 2012, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's budget submission for fiscal year 2013. On March 8, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on DHS' FY 2013 trade-related budget priorities, which included (i) expanding the Container Security Initiative (CSI), (ii) funding a CBP-private sector partnership program that aims to improve intellectual property rights (IPR) targeting by enabling CBP to identify and release shipments of authentic goods without inspection; (iii) expanding Industry Integration Centers (Centers of Excellence and Expertise, CEEs), and (iv) updating certain facilities on the southern border. She had given the same testimony at an earlier February 15 House subcommittee hearing.
On March 15, 2012, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the implications for the U.S. of Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Committee Chairman Baucus (D-MT) and private sector witnesses favored the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik's application to Russia and establishment of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to the country. Baucus stated that Russia is the largest economy currently outside the WTO and the sixth-largest economy in the world. To allow U.S. businesses and exporters to benefit from Russia's WTO accession, Baucus and others stated that Congress must act soon.
The following are trade-related highlights of the Executive Communications sent to Congress for March 1 - 14, 2012:
On March 14, 2012, the Coalition for Sugar Reform submitted testimony to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, lambasting the current sugar program as outmoded and counterproductive, and calling for its abolishment or revamp in the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill. According to the testimony, U.S. sugar subsidies hurt consumers by artificially raising prices, hurt small businesses by artificially restricting supplies, and hurt workers by encouraging relocation of manufacturing facilities offshore. The Coalition stated that, due to changes to the sugar subsidy regime in the 2008 Farm Bill, U.S. sugar prices are currently at record highs and are substantially higher than world prices.
On March 14, 2012, the Senate passed S. 1813, a bill to reauthorize the Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs for two years. The bill, also known as Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), would maintain funding at current levels, indexed for inflation, among other things. Press reports indicate that the House must take up the bill quickly, as current highway funding expires on March 31, 2012.
At two separate Congressional hearings on March 7, 2012, representatives of the American Association of Port Authorities emphasized the need for federal support for seaport security and maintenance improvements to federal navigation channels, noting the challenges that underfunding security and dredging pose for national security and U.S. international competitiveness.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Representative Broun (R-GA) have introduced identical bills, the "Freedom from Over-Criminalization and Unjust Seizures (FOCUS) Act of 2012," which they say would remove each and every reference to "foreign law" pertaining to wildlife, fish, and plants within the Lacey Act and replace its criminal penalties with a reasonable civil penalty system. According to Paul, "it is long overdue that the Lacey Act be revised to address its broad overcriminalization." Representative Broun adds that the FOCUS Act has bipartisan support.
On March 14, 2012, the Senate will continue its consideration of S. 1813, a bill to reauthorize the Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs for two years. While a vote on the bill was scheduled for March 13, 2012, the Senate instead only considered amendments. The Senate has scheduled a vote on the bill for the morning of March 14, 2012. Press reports indicate that, after the Senate approves the bill, the House must take it up quickly, as current highway funding expires on March 31, 2012.