On December 17, 2010, the following bills, resolutions, etc. were reported in the Senate:
On Dec 17, 2010, the Senate amended and passed the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5116), to invest in innovation through research and development, to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. The House passed an earlier version of H.R. 5116 on May 28, 2010.
On December 17, 2010, the House agreed to H. Con. Res. 336, providing for the sine die adjournment of the second session of the One Hundred Eleventh Congress.
On Dec 17, 2010, the House and Senate passed H.J. Res. 105, making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2011 through December 21, 2010.
On December 19, 2010, the Senate began consideration of the amendment of the House to the amendment of the Senate to the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act (H.R. 3082). The Senate is scheduled to continue its consideration of the bill on December 21, 2010.
Senator Baucus (D), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued a statement calling for swift Senate passage of the Omnibus Trade Act of 2010, which would extend the Generalized System of Preferences program and Andean Trade Preferences Act/Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act, implement hundreds of duty suspensions and reductions, etc. The House passed H.R. 6517 on December 15, 2010.
On December 17, 2010, the President signed into law H.R. 4853, the Middle Class Tax Relief Act. According to press reports, the bill extends the tariff on imported ethanol through 2011.
On December 19, 2010, the Senate again passed food safety legislation, this time as the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act (H.R. 2751). Senate sources confirm that H.R. 2751 is now a stand-alone food safety bill and is virtually identical to Senate-passed S. 510 (with the addition of technical changes made by H.R. 3082 that was recently passed by the House). It has been reworked as a stand-alone bill to separate it from the appropriations measures that were in the latest House bill. According to Senate sources, H.R. 2751 must now be passed in the House, but this is not expected to be problematic as it passed there earlier in its current form.
On December 16, 2010, the following trade-related bills were introduced:
On December 16, 2010, the House Energy and Commerce Committee filed its report on the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2010 (H.R. 4678), to require foreign manufacturers of products imported into the U.S. to establish registered agents in the U.S. who are authorized to accept service of process against such manufacturers, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 111-683, Pt. 1).