The National Association of Manufacturers and 18 other trade associations have issued a statement urging Congress to support H.R. 1939, a bill that they believe maintains the important safety provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, but adopts some modest, common sense reforms. They state that among other things, the bill amends the CPSIA to ease regulatory burdens where appropriate, eliminate duplication and needless paperwork, and improve the accuracy of information in the CPSC’s public database. The bill was reported by the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade on May 12, 2011.
On July 22, 2011, the following trade-related bills were introduced:
On July 21, 2011, the House Foreign Affairs Committee amended, approved, and ordered reported H.R. 2583, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2012.
On July 19, 2011, 12 Republican Senators sent a letter to the President urging the Administration to submit the implementing bills for the pending free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama to Congress immediately. The Senators have committed to supporting cloture on the motion to proceed to a separate TAA bill which reflects bipartisan reforms negotiated by the White House, as well as House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Camp (R) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus (D). According to the Senators, this would provide more than enough votes to ensure the reformed TAA bill can pass the Senate.
On July 21, 2011, the following trade-related bills were introduced:
On July 19, 2011, the following Committee report was filed in the Senate:
The House-passed Energy appropriations bill would prohibit: (i) implementing the incandescent light bulb phase-out and other lighting changes; (ii) expanding the authorized uses of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund; and (iii) carrying out certain international activities of the Department of Energy in China.
On July 20, 2011, the following trade-related bills were introduced:
The following hearings, markups, or meetings are scheduled for July 21, 2011:
On July 20, 2011, the House agreed to suspend the rules and pass H.J. Res. 66 to approve the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 for another year. The import restrictions will expire July 27, 2011 unless a renewal resolution is enacted into law (which is expected).