The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider Dec. 6 the nomination of Mark Barnett, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade.
Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) pushed for strong public health protections as part of the ongoing negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. "As a result of expanded trade with two particular TPP countries, Vietnam and Malaysia, the United States markets could see an influx of imported contaminated seafood," said a press release. Those two countries have an especially poor track record for seafood imported into the U.S., the lawmakers said.
The Senate Homeland Security committee reported on Nov. 26 the Safeguarding American Agriculture Act of 2012, a bill “to enhance agricultural import and entry inspection functions, and for other purposes.” The bill would require creation of a CBP agriculture specialist career track and a CBP-Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service rotation program. But as reported, the bill would not mandate the creation of a CBP Office of Agricultural Inspection, as would have been required by the bill as first introduced. A spokeswoman for Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who chairs the Senate Homeland Security committee, told us the Senator “did not think a CBP Office of Agricultural Inspection advanced the goal of a unified, integrated agency.”
House Republican leadership chose Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) to continue to chair the House Ways and Means Committee in the next Congress. "We will keep pursuing new opportunities in the global marketplace while enforcing our rights and holding our trading partners accountable," Camp said in a press release (here).
House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) hopes to see movement on two major pieces of customs-related legislation by the end of the year, he said at the CBP East Coast Trade Symposium Nov. 27. Brady hopes to introduce a customs reauthorization bill this year and expects a miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) “shortly,” he said.
House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) plans to vacate his spot as the head of the committee, he told the New York Daily News in an interview. King will have completed a total of seven years as Chairman of the committee. It's unclear who will become the next chairman.
New lobbyist registrations on trade issues include:
New lobbyist registrations on trade issues include:
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said he hopes to see the Senate move quickly to approve legislation that would lower barriers on trade with Russia by repealing legislation that limits trade with communist countries. The House of Representatives voted to approve the bill (HR-6156) Nov. 16. "Passing this bill will provide a one-sided economic benefit for the U.S. by boosting our exports to Russia, and that’s exactly what America’s ranchers, farmers, workers and businesses need,” Baucus said. “I will continue to work in the Senate to get PNTR across the finish line and onto the President’s desk before the end of the year. We need to act now to take advantage of this opportunity and provide a much needed boost to our economy.” Several business groups, including the Business Roundtable and the National Foreign Trade Council, also urged quick Senate passage of the legislation.
The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Firms program has largely been a help to U.S. companies that are hurt as a result of increased imports due to loosened trade barriers, said Alfredo Gomez, acting director of International Affairs and Trade at the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Gomez testified Nov. 14 before the House Oversight Committee Government Organization subcommittee. The Nov. 14 hearing, focused on evaluating trade adjustment assistance, was previously postponed. The GAO testimony is (here).