Rodney Scott, who once led the Border Patrol, was confirmed by the Senate to be the leader of CBP, on a 51-46 vote. All Republicans present voted for Scott, and no Democrats or independents did.
A bill that would create a criminal offense for "knowingly and recklessly importing high-risk agents, toxins or organisms" was introduced last week by Reps. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and Josh Riley, D-N.Y.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., introduced a bill last week to end the Jones Act, which requires that U.S.-built and -crewed ships serve intra-U.S. shipments, including to Puerto Rico.
Senators and witnesses called for legislative action to combat imports of seafood caught with forced labor during a June 12 hearing.
Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., introduced a bill that would suspend tariffs on imported bicycle components for U.S. assembly operations.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., joined by the chairman and members of the House Select Committee on China, reintroduced a bill last week to hike tariffs on Chinese drones and use the funds to help police departments, utilities and farmers replace Chinese drones with domestic or ally-built aircraft.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that there would be $2.5 trillion collected in tariffs -- after accounting for consumer changes -- from 2025 to 2035 if the global 10% reciprocal tariff remained, de minimis was still curtailed, and tariffs on most Chinese products and on some Mexican and Canadian products, as well as 25% tariffs on the auto sector, steel and aluminum, continue during that period. (The estimate was prepared before the president doubled the tariffs on steel and aluminum.)
Joseph Barloon, who was a general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during Donald Trump's first term, told Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., that he believes in rules-based trade.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said his vision of revoking Permanent Normal Trade Relations status for China is not to move Chinese goods to Column 2, but to create a new tariff schedule just for Chinese goods, with high rates reserved for strategic goods. Moolenaar, who has sponsored legislation to end PNTR (see 2501240061), described the approach he'd like to see at a Center for a New Security conference June 3.
Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and chairman of the Budget Committee, reintroduced a bill that would allow the administration to impose Section 301 tariffs on goods made outside of China if they are made by Chinese firms.