The Congressional Research Service has issued a report on the bilateral economic issues between the U.S. and Japan related to the credit crisis and economic recession.
On May 26, 2011, the following trade-related bills were introduced:
On May 26, 2011, the Senate passed S. 1082, to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958.
On May 26, 2011, Senator Burr (R) introduced S. 1116, a bill that would consolidate the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce into a single, new agency called the Department of Commerce and the Workforce (DOCW).
At a May 17, 2011 Senate Finance hearing on U.S. infrastructure, Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Hatch both acknowledged the need for a highway bill as the Highway Trust Fund needs to be reauthorized this year since it expires on September 30, 2011. Hatch noted that the last long-term surface transportation reauthorization, SAFETEA-LU, expired in 2009, and Congress has been enacting short-term extensions since then.
Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee1 have issued a joint statement regarding draft legislation to reauthorize U.S. surface transportation programs, entitled Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21).
On May 24, 2011, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee1 held a hearing to discuss the strategic and critical minerals policy of the U.S. and opportunities for improvement so that the U.S. can decrease its dependence on foreign mineral materials. According to Chairman Lamborn, steps taken by China to restrict exports of mineral commodities highlights the need for the U.S. to assess the state of the U.S. mineral policies and the opportunities to produce these and other strategic and critical minerals domestically.
On May 26, 2011, Senator Wyden (D)1 introduced S. 1133, the Enforcing Orders and Reducing Circumvention Evasion (ENFORCE) Act, a bipartisan measure to require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to quickly investigate allegations of antidumping and countervailing duty evasion in order to counteract the effects evasion has had on domestic manufacturing. A similar measure is expected in the House.
The following are trade-related highlights of the Executive Communications sent to Congress on May 23-25, 2011:
The Congressional Research Service has issued a report stating that pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia and the Horn of Africa, including those on U.S.-flagged vessels, have brought renewed international attention to the long-standing problem of maritime piracy.