The Congressional Research Service has issued a report (95-1013) entitled, "Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy." After experiencing serious unrest during the late 1990s, Bahrain undertook several steps to enhance the inclusion of the Shiite majority in governance. However, the Sunni-led government’s efforts to maintain its tight grip on power have stirred new unrest among Bahraini Shiites in advance of October 23, 2010, parliamentary elections.
Representative Michael Arcuri of New York called on President Obama to take immediate action to resolve the ongoing cross-border trucking dispute with Mexico that has resulted in retaliatory tariffs on many U.S. exports to Mexico, including 20-25% retaliatory tariffs on cheese and apples. He states that the tariffs on cheese affect 80% of U.S. cheese exports to Mexico, which represents approximately a fourth of total U.S. cheese exports world-wide. He adds that U.S. apple exports are also hard hit because Mexico is the largest export market for U.S. apples.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Levin and Representative Dingell both issued statements welcoming the recent World Trade Organization panel finding in favor of the U.S. in a dispute brought by China concerning U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty measures applied to a range of Chinese imports. They said these findings are especially important to address China’s unfair trade practices and to address global imbalances.
On October 19, 2010, Representative Waxman (D), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, delivered remarks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's summit “The U.S. and Israel: Building Business Through Innovation.” During his remarks, Chairman Waxman discussed the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement. In addition, Chairman Waxman noted Israel’s conditional removal from the 2010 Special 301 report and expressed hope that Israel would be completely removed from the 2011 Special 301 report.
On October 19, 2010, Congressman Michaud (D), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, praised the announcement by the State of Maine that it has reached an agreement with the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway to preserve access to freight rail service in northern Maine.
On October 19, 2010, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders wrote the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission requesting more information regarding plans for ensuring the security of U.S. telecommunications networks, in light of a proposed deal between Sprint, Cricket, and two Chinese-based companies.
Senator Schumer (D) issued a press release stating that reports have shown that some Chinese growers are mislabeling their products as “organic.” Senator Schumer called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to more aggressively act to halt the practice.
On October 15, 2010, the President signed into law H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-281). P.L. 111-281 contains provisions on transportation security credentialing, hazardous cargo, port assessment coordination, canine teams, etc. (See ITT’s Online Archives or 10/14/10 news, 10101413, for BP summary on H.R. 3619 as passed by Congress.)
On October 18, 2010, Congressman Mike Michaud (D), Chairman of the House Trade Working Group, was joined by 20 of his congressional colleagues and 35 members of South Korea’s National Assembly in sending a letter to President Obama and South Korean President Lee urging them to make substantive changes to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).
During his weekly address on October 16, 2010, President Obama laid out a policy agenda that included closing tax loopholes that encourage companies to invest overseas. He said the U.S. must encourage companies to invest more in the U.S., but the U.S. tax code has encouraged companies to create jobs and profits in other countries.