With a vote that sends its U.S. Innovation and Competition Act back to the House, the Senate moved the two chambers' China packages one step closer to a legislative conference to align the bills. The 68-28 vote came late March 28.
Sen. John Thune, the South Dakota Republican who serves as his party's top vote-counter, told reporters at the Capitol that a bill to remove permanent normal trade relations status from Russia is stalled in the Senate over one Republican's disagreement on the Magnitsky Act renewal. He said that Democrats are negotiating with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on the language he wants regarding the Magnitsky Act. "They're still trying to negotiate, and hopefully they'll be able to find a path forward, but as of right now, it's hung up, and I don't see that busting loose this week, and next week is the Supreme Court [nomination vote], so it doesn't look like anything's likely to happen on that until after the Easter break."
Rep. Kevin Brady, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, said that when Republicans meet privately with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai ahead of her testimony March 30, they will argue that the Section 301 exclusions announced last week (see 2203230070) were far too limited.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., along with three Republican co-sponsors, introduced a bill that would ban the import of Venezuelan oil. South Florida has a large Venezuelan exile population, and there had been recent press reports that the U.S. might import oil from Venezuela as it cut off oil imports from Russia.
A handful of House members, led by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., introduced legislation to ban the import of uranium from Russia, as a response to the invasion of Ukraine. The bill follows the introduction of a similar ban from the Senate earlier in March (see 2203170061).
Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, introduced the Preventing Labor Union Slowdowns (Plus) Act, which would revise the National Labor Relations Act to define a labor slowdown by port unions as an unfair labor practice. It also would change the labor law to say that labor unions' negotiations against port automation are an unfair labor practice.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will testify at the House Ways and Means Committee March 30 at 10 a.m. The hybrid virtual and in-person hearing is on the topic of the Biden administration's trade policy agenda. She will testify at the Senate Finance Committee March 31st at 10 a.m.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., complained in a floor speech that Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, blocked unanimous consent to move to debate and a vote on revoking permanent normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.
Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., introduced a bill that would increase tariffs an additional 20% on Chinese exports in Sections I through III of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule -- which includes Chapters 1-15 -- if China increases the amount of wheat and barley it's importing from Russia. The bill, released March 22, has no co-sponsors. "By allowing an increase of its purchases of Russian agricultural products, China could effectively be giving a financial lifeline to the Putin regime," Budd said in a news release. "This bill would act as a warning to the Chinese Communist Party that continuing their economic partnership with Russia will have grave consequences.”
The Senate Commerce Committee passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act by a voice vote March 22. The bill would shift the burden of proof on unreasonable detention and demurrage to carriers and forbid them from unreasonably declining export shipments. A recent panel at the Capitol revealed that before the COVID-19 pandemic-related supply chain crunch, 20% of containers went back to Asia empty, and now it's 80% (see 2203180050).