NAM Urges Renewal of MTB By Any Means in Lame-Duck
The House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees continue to harm a wide range of U.S. manufacturing by refusing to tackle Miscellaneous Tariff Bill renewal legislation, said National Associations of Manufacturers Vice President of International Economic Affairs Linda Dempsey…
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in a conference call on Nov. 19. MTB renewal has languished on Capitol Hill since last expiring at the end of 2012 due, in part, to a Senate moratorium on earmarks. A number of industry representatives, including domestic textile producers, are urging immediate MTB renewal [see 1411130012). Dempsey and two producers also pushed Congress to act on MTB in the lame-duck session. “I’m not going to say whether it should move as part of tax extenders, move on its own or move as some other part of legislation,” said Dempsey. “If not we will be seeking action by the newly-announced Ways and Means incoming chairman Paul Ryan, the incoming Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Hatch, as well as Mr. Levin and Sen. Wyden.” Levin is ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, and Wyden is current chairman of Finance. Those trade committees may also want to consider a bigger role for the International Trade Commission in the MTB review process, said Dempsey, while rejecting the argument that MTB exemptions are “earmarks.”