MINNEAPOLIS -- The impending departure of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., from the ranks of Republican leadership is instilling uncertainty in the effort to renew the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank prior to its looming Sept. 30 expiration date, said Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., at the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) annual conference on June 17. Cantor lost his primary bid last week, and later announced he will step down from the leadership role on July 31. Although Cantor’s ouster will not likely impact the broader trade agenda, Ex-Bank renewal is an “open question” due largely to opposition from House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas.

House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., reiterated the call to pass Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in a June 16 statement, noting this month marks the 80th anniversary of the enactment of the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act. The legislation paved the way for modern day TPA, said the lawmakers. “I urge the administration to pull out the stops to assure passage of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014, which strengthens the role of Congress in trade negotiations and gives the President the ability to negotiate the very best deals for U.S. exporters, creating good jobs that pay well,” said Camp. Camp co-sponsored the introduction of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014 in January to both the applause and rejection of congressional colleagues (see 14011013).

Members of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) went to Capitol Hill on June 17 to ask lawmakers to pass a Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB), NAM said in a press release. "While the MTB enjoys broad bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, it remains hamstrung by inside-the-beltway politics," said NAM. "Congress’s failure to act on this jobs bill couldn’t come at a worse time, as manufacturers struggle to regain their footing in a still-struggling economy." An MTB, typically passed by every congress to suspend tariffs on certain products, faces an uphill battle in this Congress due to a dispute over whether MTB violates a ban on earmarks (see 13103117). "For three decades on a bipartisan basis, Congress has approved this critical legislation, which suspends import tariffs on essential manufacturing inputs and products that are not produced in the United States," said a NAM fact sheet on the issue (here) "Unless Congress acts quickly, costs will continue to mount for manufacturers and jobs will continue to be negatively impacted."

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Catfish Inspection Program aims to effectively rein in U.S. catfish and catfish product imports laced with illegal antibiotics and carcinogens, despite critics' assertions that the program is wasteful and duplicative, says Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., in a letter to House members urging them to reject an amendment to prevent program funding. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., filed the amendment to fiscal year 2015 agriculture appropriations legislation that would strip funding for the program (see 14061105), but lawmakers have not yet debated or voted on the amendment. Over recent months, Hartzler and many other congressional colleagues have tried to prevent implementation of the program. Opponents say it will hurt catfish imports and invite trade retaliation (see 13121124).

The Senate is expected to begin on June 17 consideration of an omnibus bill that incorporates appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies, Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS), and Transportation,Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD). The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced both the CJS and THUD bills at the beginning of June (see 14060323). The committee approved the agriculture appropriations legislation in late May (see 14052303).

The House Democratic caucus will continue to forge ahead with Export-Import Bank reauthorization legislation in the wake of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s, R-Va., primary loss on June 10, said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., in remarks the following day. The outgoing majority leader, along with Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, have supported reauthorization over recent months (see 14031813). "If we’re going to be competitive, if we want people to manufacture things here creating American jobs here for our constituents then we want to make sure that we are competitive worldwide and without the Export-Import Bank we won’t be," said Hoyer. "Mr. Cantor believed that. I’m hopeful that we can continue to work on that." The bank is due to expire at the end of the fiscal year, and many Republicans, including House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, oppose reauthorization (see 14052123). Current House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is now widely seen as the likely successor to Cantor (here).

The House Homeland Security Committee passed on June 11 the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act, along with a number of other Department of Homeland Security bills. If passed, the legislation would give formal congressional authorization for a number of CBP functions (see 14052101). The measure would mandate assessments of infrastructure needs at the 20 busiest U.S. ports of entry 180 days after the law takes effect. The CBP authorization legislation also would provide for additional congressional scrutiny of the CBP Office of Technology Innovation and Acquisition, along with other oversight directives. The committee sent the bill to the full House for consideration at a later undetermined date.

Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:

The House adjourned debate on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015, HR-4800 (here), on June 11, leaving the measure as unfinished business. The bill is tentatively scheduled to be taken up further next week. Lawmakers did not consider an amendment to prohibit funds to implement the U.S. Department of Agriculture Catfish Inspection Program (see 14061105). Lawmakers also did not consider an amendment to ban funds that would enforce any ban on aging cheese on wood (see 14061118). The two amendments were not formally filed because of procedural rules that place amendments that limit funds at the end of debate.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing June 11 on the nominations of Robert Adler as commissioner at the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Marcus Jadotte as International Trade Administration assistant secretary for industry and analysis. Adler currently is acting chairman of the CPSC, after being appointed to the agency in 2009. Jadotte served as the vice president of public affairs and multicultural development at NASCAR from 2011 to 2014, and previously served on congressional staffs.