On June 12, 2010, the President sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging swift action on several priorities to give assistance to U.S. small business, including the Tax Extenders bill, new small business legislation, proposals to bolster U.S. infrastructure and crate clean energy jobs in the U.S., etc.
On June 5, 2010, the American Apparel and Footwear Association submitted written testimony in response to the House Ways and Means Committee’s Trade Subcommittee May 20, 2010 hearing on Customs Trade Facilitation and Enforcement in a Secure Environment. In addition, the Trade Remedy and Reform Action Coalition submitted written comments on a prospective duty assessment system for the same hearing.
On June 10, 2010, the following trade-related bills were introduced:
On June 10, 2010, Representatives Weiner (D) and Chaffetz (R) called for an end to the mohair subsidy. (Mohair, which is fleece from the Angora goat, has been subsidized since World War II.)
On June 10, 2010, the Senate rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a Senate Joint Resolution disapproving a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to the endangerment finding and the cause or contribute findings for greenhouse gases under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.
On June 8, 2010, Senators Brown (D) and Schumer (D) urged the Commerce Department to move forward with an investigation of China’s currency manipulation and its effect on the U.S. paper industry. In a letter, the Senators called for the Department to make a final ruling on whether or not it would investigate whether China’s currency policy provides an unfair subsidy for Chinese paper products that should be remedied through trade measures.
On June 10, 2010, the Senate reached a unanimous-consent agreement to resume consideration of amendments to the House-passed H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (the Tax Extenders or Jobs bill) on June 14, 2010.
On June 10, 2010, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on “The U.S.-China Economic Relationship: A New Approach for a New China.” The only witness testifying at the hearing was Treasury Secretary Geithner. During this hearing, Committee members expressed dissatisfaction with the Administration’s progress on China and pressed the Treasury Secretary on issues such as currency, intellectual property rights protection, China’s protectionist indigenous innovation provisions, etc.
On June 9, 2010, the following trade-related bills were introduced:
On May 27, 2010, the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on tobacco smuggling, and the recommendations made by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to enhance the traceability of tobacco products. TTB discussed its new $3M in funding to hire and train special agents, its efforts to prevent diversion to avoid the 150% excise tax, and the recommendation to work with FDA on a "track and trace" system authorized by the recently enacted Family Smoking Prevention Act.