Today, Chairman Camp (R-MI), Trade Subcommittee Chairman Brady (R-TX), Congressman Rangel (D-NY) and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member McDermott (D-WA) introduced H.R. 5986, bipartisan legislation to: (1) Extend the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) third-country fabric provisions through 2015 and add South Sudan as an eligible beneficiary country under AGOA;… Read more

Today, the Obama Administration is arguing that ObamaCare is a “win” for consumers because insurers will be rebating $1.1 billion dollars to 12.8 million Americans.  This amounts to an average rebate of less than $86 per person who receives the rebate.   What the Administration is not saying is that employer-based health insurance premiums increased, on average, by $1,303… Read more

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) today announced that the Committee on Ways and Means will hold a hearing on Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and granting Russia permanent normal trade relations (PNTR).  The hearing will take place on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, in 1100 Longworth House Office Building.  The first panel will consist… Read more

Today, the Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and granting Russia permanent normal trade relations (PNTR).  Russia will join the WTO later this summer, and as a result will be required to open up its market and comply with the WTO’s rules.  However, the United States will not receive any of these benefits… Read more

(Remarks as Prepared) Good morning.  I want to welcome everyone and extend a special welcome to our guests, the United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Ron Kirk; and the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of State, Ambassador William Burns; as well as our second panel of witnesses, which will begin at 2:00 this afternoon.  I am looking forward to a… Read more

By Emily Miller Republicans have finally figured out how to corner President Obama on the tax issue. Within six months, Americans will be hit with a $4.3 trillion tax hike supported by Mr. Obama. By moving to pass legislation next month to stop "Taxmaggedon," the GOP is putting itself on the side of ordinary Americans. On Tuesday, House Ways and Means Committee… Read more

The release of two reports today, one from the Business Roundtable and one from the Federal Reserve Board Members, provided Americans with a double dose of bad news for employment prospects in the coming months.  The Business Roundtable’s quarterly survey of America’s CEOs showed that the number of CEOs who expect to increase employment in the next 6 months fell by 6 percentage… Read more

(Remarks as Prepared) Today, we will be hearing from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) on the analysis and recommendations contained in its June 2012 report. This Subcommittee has heard from numerous witnesses over the last year and a half about the financial challenges facing the Medicare program.  In fact, the Medicare Trustees reported in April that the… Read more

The Obama Administration today hailed the Democrats’ health care law for allegedly helping 3.1 million young Americans gain insurance coverage under a provision permitting young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until they turn age 26.  However, what the Administration is unlikely to reveal is the reason so many young adults are finding it… Read more

As described in Part I of this series, when the clock strikes midnight on December 31, 2012, the low-tax policies originally enacted in 2001 and 2003 – and extended, at Republicans’ urging, by a Democrat Congress and President Obama in 2010 – are again scheduled to expire.  If Congress does not prevent these massive, job-killing tax increases, it will affect every American who pays… Read more