President Barack Obama should ensure the ban on U.S. crude oil exports remain in effect, despite recent comments by a cabinet official that suggest the administration may ease the ban, said Senator Bob Menendez in a Dec. 16 letter to the president. The ease will increase the purchase price of American domestic oil in order to boost the profits of large oil companies, said Menendez. “Crude oil that is produced in the U.S. should be used to lower prices here at home, not sent to the other side of the world,” said Menendez. “We must continue to keep domestically-produced crude here to lower prices for consumers, while aggressively working towards clean and renewable alternatives. Allowing for expanded crude exports would serve only to enhance the profits of Big Oil, and could force U.S. consumers to pay even more at the pump.”
Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:
The U.S. should not include Vietnam in a final Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact until the Vietnamese government permits its citizens to fully exercise fundamental civil, political, labor and religious rights, said a bipartisan group of ten House lawmakers. The lawmakers expressed skepticism that human rights provisions in TPP will bring “meaningful improvement” to government repression of human rights activism, free dissemination of web-based information, freedom of association, collective bargaining and freedom of worship.
The U.S. should retain import-sensitive treatment for domestic glass tableware in final Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) pacts, said a group of eight bipartisan lawmakers in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on Dec. 11. Glassware production companies, such as Libbey Inc. and Anchor Hocking Co., are continuing to lobby for preservation of import-sensitive treatment, said the lawmakers. “Libbey and Anchor Hocking join in urging that the TPP and TTIP rules of origin for the listed glassware products should be objective, transparent, predictable, and effective in limiting preferential tariff treatment to goods that are formed, finished, and packaged in TPP and TTIP countries,” said the lawmakers. “The TPP and TTIP market access negotiations should account for the import-sensitivity of these products, placing these products in the category eligible for the longest phase-out periods and eligible, as appropriate, for non-linear phase-out treatment.” Senators Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Mary Landrieu, D-La., David Vitter, R-La., and Bob Casey, D-Pa., endorsed the letter, along with and House members Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, and John Fleming, R-La.
The Senate confirmed Jeh Johnson as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on Dec. 16 in a 78-16 vote. "Mr. Johnson must tackle the alarming number of vacancies in DHS’s top ranks, and I was pleased to hear that finally filling this leadership void will be one of his top priorities," said House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas (here). "It is critically important that Mr. Johnson be allowed to surround himself with a capable leadership team," said Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., on the Senate floor (here). "At DHS alone, there are 14 Presidentially-appointed positions that are without a permanent replacement. Of these, 10 require Senate confirmation."
Foreign trade zone use has seen an increase among both foreign and domestic sources, according to an updated Congressional Research Service report on FTZs. Some 58 percent, or $429 billion of goods into zones in 2012 were of domestic origin, the report said. That's up from $311 billion in 2010, according to last year's FTZ CRS report (see 12091101). About 42 percent, or $304 billion, of goods came from foreign sources in 2012, up from $223 billion in 2010. "The zone system accounts for 13 percent of all foreign goods entering the United States and employs roughly 370,000 workers, representing about 3 percent of U.S. manufacturing workers in 2012—most but not all FTZ employees are in manufacturing," said the report. The newly released Nov. 12 report, titled “U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones: Background and Issues for Congress,” gives background on free trade zones in general, outlines the U.S. FTZ program, and discusses current FTZ and worldwide zone-related issues for Congress.
The Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp, R-Mich., reached agreement with Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and ranking member Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, said a Ways and Means spokeswoman on Dec. 17. “I would expect you will see a bipartisan, bicameral TPA bill as soon as Congress returns in January,” said the Ways and Means spokeswoman. “It will be one of the first items on their agenda.” The spokeswoman declined to comment on suggestions of inclusion of new provisions in legislation, such as language that address currency manipulations. “TPA is moving forward,” said another person close to the negotiations, corroborating the January target. “The challenge has been time. They simply ran out of time on the calendar.” The House went into recess on Dec. 13. The House went into recess on Dec. 13. House Ways and Means ranking member Sander Levin, D-Mich., has not signed on to the deal, according to Congressional staffers. Levin’s office did not immediately respond for comment.
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman should prioritize dismantling "protectionist" data flow policies through Trans Pacific Partnership, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and Trade in International Services Agreement negotiations, said a group of 18 House members in a Dec. 13 letter (here). Some European Union (EU) officials are pushing initiatives that undermine the U.S. ability to compete in the European market, such as an EU only information sharing cloud and an EU information technology (IT) conglomerate, said the lawmakers.
Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:
The House on Dec. 12 passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (here) with overwhelming support, registering 332 votes in favor. Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., introduced the bill on Dec. 11 (see 13121123). “While modest in scale, this agreement represents a positive step forward by replacing one-time spending cuts with permanent reforms to mandatory spending programs that will produce real, lasting savings,” said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio (here). “It would also help to further reduce the deficit without tax hikes that would hurt our economy.”