President Donald Trump might not stick to a March 1 deadline for deciding whether to raise the 10 percent Section 301 tariffs on about $200 billion in China imports to 25 percent, he told reporters at the White House Tuesday. If the U.S. and China are "close to a deal" on comprehensive trade overhaul, "I could see myself letting that slide for a little while," said Trump. "But generally speaking, I'm not inclined to do that." Trump said he's comfortable keeping tariffs on Chinese goods if he doesn't get a real agreement, "not just a deal that cosmetically looks good for a year."
President Donald Trump’s executive order on artificial intelligence offers “little concrete guidance” for combating malicious use of AI technology against the U.S., said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., Monday evening (see 1902110054). He applauded the EO directive to open federal data sets to nonfederal entities but criticized the administration for not addressing American tech companies “working in and with adversary nations in ways that undermine civil liberties, privacy, and American leadership.” CTA CEO Gary Shapiro lauded the order, saying it’s critical for the U.S. government to expand understanding of AI, “share its findings with researchers and plan for the anticipated benefits and risks as other countries dedicate investment and research on AI.” The EO “has lofty language. But let's be honest: what matters most is funding and follow through,” FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel tweeted. Semiconductor Industry Association CEO John Neuffer welcomed the order. He suggested the administration fund “precompetitive basic research for AI-enabling semiconductor technology,” “double-down” in helping AI workforce development and open data policies, and prioritize data security. BSA|The Software Alliance Policy Director Christian Troncoso credited the administration for outlining an AI strategy "that recognizes the importance of federal R&D, promotes access to government data, and seeks to prepare the American workforce for the jobs of the future."
The National Retail Federation is optimistic about de-escalation of the U.S.-China trade war but won’t close the door on joining a legal challenge if the Trump administration hikes 10 percent tariffs to 25 percent after March 1, CEO Matthew Shay told us Tuesday. “I’m not sure we’re ready to go there yet,” said Shay of a court challenge. CTA, which teamed with NRF to oppose the tariffs, was shopping around a draft complaint in the fall with other trade groups, seeking backing to support a court challenge if levies rose to 25 percent after Jan. 1. The administration postponed the increase for 90 days to give negotiators a chance to hammer out a comprehensive trade agreement. NRF hasn't discussed joining a court challenge with CTA, Shay told us. “If you look at the pattern” by which some penalties “unfolded,” administration officials have gone “out of their way to try to avoid unnecessarily harming consumers,” with some “exceptions,” he said. “We think they understand the potential ramifications” of hiking the tariffs to 25 percent, he said. NRF remains “hopeful we’ll some real progress” in diffusing U.S-Chinese trade tensions, “as opposed to escalating or doubling down on something we think is not going to be productive for the economy,” said Shay.
President Donald Trump plans to urge Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union to “produce an infrastructure package that delivers substantial investments in vital” projects, an administration official told reporters Friday on condition of not being identified. Trump's push for infrastructure legislation would be part of a broader focus on “rebuilding America” in a speech aimed at encouraging bipartisan compromise. Administration officials continued to meet in recent weeks on reviving an infrastructure legislative package this year, including whether to expand its telecom scope beyond increasing broadband deployments to also include funding for 5G technology (see 1901180032). Telecom interests have been hopeful that prospects for compromise on a broadband title in infrastructure legislation have improved because the split partisan control of Congress (see 1811130011).
The FCC's January meeting agenda is a prime example of how the partial government shutdown is undercutting administration efforts at deregulation and needs to end, American Enterprise Institute visiting fellow Daniel Lyons blogged Friday. "Smart-siz[ing] the regulatory state" is long overdue, but eliminating outdated and overly burdensome regulations requires a bureaucracy that reviews its rules, gauges their ongoing necessity and manages the legal process for changing them, he said. The shutdown means deregulatory items that had been scheduled for the meeting -- an end to Connect America Fund Phase I support in some price-cap telco areas and eliminating requirements for broadcaster midterm equal employment opportunity reports (see 1901030039) -- are now kicked down the road, Lyons said. The agency announced last week the January meeting won't have agenda items (see 1901230058). President Donald Trump reached a deal on a continuing resolution to reopen shuttered parts of the government through Feb. 15, which Congress was expected to have approved as soon as Friday night (see 1901240016).
President Donald Trump sent a raft of renominations back to the Senate Wednesday night for positions on the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Service, Consumer Product Safety Commission, International Trade Commission, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, Broadcasting Board of Governors, CPB board and other federal agencies. Trump renominated Jeffrey Kessler as assistant secretary of Commerce-enforcement and compliance, which he was originally named to in 2017 (see 1711030007). William Bryan was renominated as undersecretary of Homeland Security-science and technology. Ron Bloom, Robert Duncan and Roman Martinez were renominated to the USPS board of governors. Trump renominated CPSC acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle to officially take over the role. He originally selected her in 2017 (see 1707250016). Amy Karpel was renominated to the ITC. Trump renominated Aditya Bamzai and former FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc to PCLOB (see 1808290038). Manifold Productions President Michael Pack was renominated as BBG CEO. Trump renominated four to the CPB board -- Janice Hellreich, Robert Mandell, Don Munce and Bruce Ramer.
President Donald Trump signed the Open, Public, Electronic and Necessary Government Data Act into law Monday (see 1812200051). The Open Government Data Act requires machine-readable data. It lets businesses, journalists, academics, civil society groups and agencies “develop innovative products and services, make important business decisions, conduct research, and ensure accountability and oversight in government,” said the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's Center for Data Innovation.
Negotiations between President Donald Trump's administration and Capitol Hill to end the partial government shutdown appeared to be at a standstill Thursday, the shuttering's 20th day, over the continued disagreement over funding for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Midnight Friday would make it a record-length shuttering. Trump told reporters he will “almost definitely” declare a national emergency to siphon off Defense Department funds for the border wall if negotiations with the Hill don't progress. Vice President Mike Pence opposed a bid by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and other Republicans to seek a deal with Democrats that would fund the wall in exchange for temporary protections for immigrants. “I have never been more depressed about moving forward than I am right now,” Graham told reporters. “I just don’t see a pathway forward."
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel continues urging policymakers to “survey our laws & consider what happens” to communications networks under Communications Act Section 606 if the president declares the sort of national emergency that Donald Trump threatened to bypass Congress in his bid to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Section 606 lets the president “shut down or take over communications in war or emergency,” Rosenworcel tweeted Tuesday. Trump stopped short of declaring a national emergency during a Tuesday speech. He said Wednesday the option remains a possibility if negotiations with Capitol Hill over the partial government shutdown (see 1901080004), which centers on the wall funding dispute, don't yield results. “I have the absolute right” to declare a national emergency, with the threshold being “if I can’t make a deal with people that are unreasonable,” Trump told reporters.
President Donald Trump signed legislation Thursday establishing minimum standards for federal websites, such as mobile-friendly interfaces (see 1811300039). The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act “will modernize the way the federal government delivers services online, increase efficiency, and reduce costs for taxpayers,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, bill co-author, said.