On September 29, 2011, the House of Representatives agreed with the Senate’s version of H.R. 2017, a bill to make continuing appropriations through October 4, 2011. H.R. 2017 would also renew import restrictions against Burma contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 retroactive to July 26, 2011. The President signed H.R. 2017 into law on September 30, 2011.
On September 26, 2011, the Senate ratified a Bilateral Investment Treaty with Rwanda. According to the State Department, BITs establish rules that protect the rights of U.S. investors abroad and provide market access for future U.S. investment. They also support market-based policies and best practices that treat investment in an open, transparent, and non-discriminatory way. (See ITT’s Online Archives 10080925 for summary of a State Department speech in which it was noted that the U.S. is pursuing a bilateral investment treaty with Rwanda.)
On September 26, 2011, the following trade-related bill was introduced:
On September 26, 2011, the Senate passed a one-week continuing appropriations measure (by adopting an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 2017, the FY 2012 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act). If enacted, this stopgap measure would delay by one week a government shutdown when current FY 2011 funding ends on September 30, 2011. On September 26, 2011, the Senate also agreed to the House amendment of a six week (through November 18, 2011) continuing appropriations bill (H.R. 2608) with further amendments.
On September 26, 2011, the Senate took up a "motion to proceed" to consideration of S. 1619, a bill that would provide for the identification of misaligned currency and require action to correct the misalignment. The Senate is scheduled to continue its consideration of the "motion to proceed" on October 3, 2011.
The following are trade-related highlights of the Executive Communications sent to Congress on September 19 - 22, 2011:
On September 21, 2011, the following trade-related bills were introduced:
The President’s American Jobs Act, introduced on September 13, 2011, would, among other things, fund various infrastructure projects, create a national infrastructure bank, modify certain foreign tax credit rules, propose a national wireless initiative, implement various unemployment provisions, and repeal certain oil subsidies. The Act also contains a “Buy American” restriction for iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in certain projects funded by the Act. The government of Canada is requesting consultations on this Buy American restriction.
On September 22, 2011, the House passed an amended version of H.R. 26081, to provide further continuing appropriations for discretionary government operations. Affected government operations and services are slated to shut down after September 30, 2011 unless continuing appropriations legislation is enacted. (The House is not scheduled to be in session for the week of September 26, 2011, but there will be a couple of pro forma sessions during the week).
On September 13, 2011, Representative Sherman (D-CA) and four co-sponsors reintroduced H.R. 2909, the Emergency China Trade Act, to revoke MFN status for China and direct the President to negotiate a new trading relationship that is designed to eliminate the U.S.-China trade imbalance. No further action has occurred on this measure as of September 26, and an identical bill was introduced by Sherman in 2010.