On March 20, 2012, the Senate voted twice and did not get enough votes to add an Export-Import Bank reauthorization amendment to H.R. 3606, the “Reopening American Capital Markets to Emerging Growth Companies Act of 2011.”1 The amendment would have reauthorized the Ex-Im Bank through September 30, 2015, required it to promote textile and apparel component exports, banned certain Iran assistance, and reviewed domestic content guidelines.
The following are trade-related highlights of the Executive Communications sent to Congress for March 16, 2012:
On March 19, 2012 the following trade-related bill was introduced:
The following are the trade-related hearings scheduled from March 20-23:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced on March 19, 2012 that the Senate will resume consideration of the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization bill. The bill would reauthorize the Export-Import Bank through September 30, 2015, require it to promote textile and apparel component exports, ban certain Iran assistance, and review domestic content guidelines. The proposal will be taken up as an amendment to H.R. 3606, a bill “Reopening American Capital Markets to Emerging Growth Companies Act of 2011”, with possible Senate vote to take place on March 20. The reauthorization has bi-partisan support as well as the support of President Obama.
Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced on March 19, 2012 that he sent three separate petitions to the Food and Drug Administration requesting the agency permanently remove regulatory approval for the use of bisphenol-A (BPA) in (i) infant formula and baby and toddler food packaging, (ii) small reusable household food and beverage containers, and (iii) canned food packaging, on the grounds that manufacturers have stopped using BPA in these products.
The following are trade-related highlights of the Executive Communications sent to Congress for March 15, 2012:
The following are the trade-related hearings scheduled from March 19-23, 2012:
On March 8, 2012 the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:
On March 21, 2012, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's budget submission for fiscal year 2013. On March 8, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on DHS' FY 2013 trade-related budget priorities, which included (i) expanding the Container Security Initiative (CSI), (ii) funding a CBP-private sector partnership program that aims to improve intellectual property rights (IPR) targeting by enabling CBP to identify and release shipments of authentic goods without inspection; (iii) expanding Industry Integration Centers (Centers of Excellence and Expertise, CEEs), and (iv) updating certain facilities on the southern border. She had given the same testimony at an earlier February 15 House subcommittee hearing.