Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, which oversees the Bureau of Industry and Security, introduced a bill Nov. 17 to promote multilateral coordination on export controls for chipmaking equipment.
The Senate Commerce Committee voted 20-8 Nov. 19 to approve the nomination of Laura DiBella to fill one of two vacancies on the Federal Maritime Commission. Her nomination now heads to the full Senate for its consideration. DiBella and fellow nominee Robert Harvey both pledged last month to vigorously enforce the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 if confirmed by the Senate (see 2510220029). The committee has not announced a vote on Harvey.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said late Nov. 18 that President Donald Trump’s plan to sell F-35 jets to Saudia Arabia (see 2511180041) “raises major concerns” about protecting U.S. military technology. She urged the Trump administration to explain to the committee why the sale is vital to U.S. national interests.
As a Russia sanctions bill appears to have more momentum (see 2511170041), Democratic senators declined to say what tariff levels would be effective or appropriate if it becomes law.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., has introduced a bill that would require the Defense Department to review whether a Chinese entity subject to another government agency’s restrictions should be placed on DOD’s 1260H List of Chinese military companies, his office announced Nov. 18. A second bill aims to limit the ability of Chinese companies to contest 1260H designations. The first bill, the Chinese List Entity Alignment and Review Act, or Clear Act, was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee, while the second bill, the National Defense Supply Chain Act, was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Congress will move toward a vote on a bill that gives the president the authority to hike tariffs on goods from countries that buy Russian energy, and directs him to prohibit banking transactions and foreign exchange transactions for Russian companies doing business with companies or banks in other countries.
House Select Committee on China ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., asked the Trump administration Nov. 12 to explain how it plans to respond to China’s reported transfer of ballistic missile fuel ingredients to Iran in apparent violation of recently reimposed UN sanctions (see 2509290051). In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, the lawmakers said the sanctions bar support for Iran’s ballistic missile program. The State Department declined to comment.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the ranking member of the House Select Committee on China, is asking Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to tell him whether allied governments were consulted before the White House announced that chip exports from Nexperia's China factory would resume, suggesting that the EU was caught flat-footed at the development. Nexperia makes semiconductors used in automobiles.
House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, introduced a bill that would either require the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to seek a dispute settlement panel over Mexican energy policies, or to make compliance with USMCA in energy a condition of continuing a pact.
Arkansas’ six-member congressional delegation urged U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Nov. 6 to delay implementation of the new U.S.-EU trade deal (see 2507280027 and 2508210017) until the EU revises its deforestation reporting requirements. In a letter to Greer, the lawmakers reiterated their view that the regulation would harm American timber exports (see 2503170052). Greer’s office didn't respond to a request for comment.