Senate to Begin "Multi-Step" Votes on Sept 19 on GSP/MPF Bill, Etc.
On the evening of September 19, 2011, the Senate is scheduled to conduct one or more procedural votes on H.R. 2832, the House-passed bill to reinstate the GSP program retroactive to its expiration date and raise the Merchandise Processing Fee. It is not known if a vote to pass H.R. 2832 could also occur on this date, or if there is significant opposition to the measure.
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Senate Leadership Intends GSP/MPF Bill to be Vehicle for TAA
The Senate Floor Schedule states that at 4:30 p.m., the Senate is expected to resume consideration of a “motion to proceed” to H.R. 2832, the Generalized System of Preferences Act, which it states will be the vehicle for Trade Adjustment Assistance. Then at 5:30 pm, a roll call vote is scheduled on a motion to end debate (invoke cloture) on the “motion to proceed.” The leadership also hopes to get consent to proceed to the bill on the 19th.
(H.R. 2832 was passed by the House on September 7, 2011 and included provisions to renew GSP through July 31, 2013, provide for retroactive refunds, and increase the Merchandise Processing Fee to 0.3464% (from 0.21%) for formal entries from October 2, 2011 through June 30, 2014.)
If the Senate passes H.R. 2832 with a TAA provision, the measure will have to be returned to the House for another vote, since the bill passed by the House did not contain any TAA provisions.)
If GSP/MPF/TAA Bill Passes Senate, China Currency, FTAs/ATPDEA May Be Up Next
According to press reports, if the Senate and House both pass a GSP/MPF/TAA bill, the House would then wait to adopt an enrollment rule (a prerequisite for the Presidential signature of H.R. 2832) until it passes the implementing legislation for the pending Korea (KORUS), Colombia and Panama Free Trade Agreements. Once passed by the House, this FTA legislation would go to the Senate for its expected passage there, and H.R. 2832 would go to the President for signature into law.
Also, Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) has recently indicated that after the Senate completes its consideration of H.R. 2832, he plans to move on to consider China currency legislation, and several media sources now state that Andean Trade Preference Act/Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPA/ATPDEA) renewal (which expired on February 12, 2011) would be in the FTA legislation.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 09/14/11 and 09/15/11 news, 11091421 and 11091516, for BP summaries on these issues. See ITT’s Online Archives or 09/08/11 news, 11090818, for BP summary on the House-passed H.R. 2832.)
Coalition Asks GSP Supporters to Contact Congress on Sept 19 Vote
The Coalition for GSP is calling on supporters to contact their Senators via calls and emails in support of H.R. 2832 before the September 19 vote(s). The Coalition also urges supporters to express their opposition to amendments that may threaten the compromise on GSP and TAA (and by extension, the FTAs). Contact Senators by clicking here. Renew GSP Today blog available here.