Washington D.C. – In public comments to the U.S. Department of Labor, Ways & Means Republican Members today expressed their strong opposition to the Department’s proposed federal mandate that state Employment Service (ES) employees administer TAA-funded benefits and services under the expanded Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for workers program.  Earlier this year, lawmakers in… Read more

Washington, D.C. - Committee on Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) today commented on the poultry language in the final conference agreement for the 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill: Congressman Dave Camp stated, “Today’s announcement shows we can keep our food supply safe without unnecessarily inviting trade… Read more

Is President Obama a free trader? He has said so -- many times. At the April Group of 20 summit in London, he announced that he and the other assembled leaders had "rejected the protectionism that could deepen this crisis. History tells us that turning inward can help turn a downturn into a depression." From Wall Street on Monday, he declared that "this administration is committed to… Read more

Analysis by the Treasury Department shows that the Democrats’ National Energy Tax would likely cut U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) significantly: “Economic costs will likely be on order of 1% of GDP, making them equal in scale to all existing environmental regulation.”  Using the analytical methodology developed by Christina Romer, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, and Jared… Read more

Washington, DC— Republican Leaders, all Ways & Means Republicans, and other Republican Members today sent U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk letters in response to the Administration’s request for comments on the pending Colombia and South Korea trade agreements.  Attached to these letters is an analysis showing the significant economic harm to American exports of continued delay,… Read more

Washington, D.C.- Committee on Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) today made the following comment on the President’s decision to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese tires:  "In bowing to the pressure of the special interest unions, the President has imposed a new tire tax on working Americans  – many whom can barely afford to replace a tire as it… Read more

Washington, D.C.- Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today made the following comment on the release of the advance estimate of the second quarter GDP: "Today’s GDP data simply confirms what American families already know – our economy is shrinking and causing thousands of Americans to lose their jobs.  The national unemployment rate is approaching 10 percent and the unemployment rate in… Read more

Washington, DC -- Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) today testified at a joint hearing held by the U.S. State Department and U.S. Trade Representative on U.S. investment policy and the language in the U.S. Model Bilateral Investment Treaty.  His full remarks are provided below. *** Thank you, Mr. Scholz and Mr. Kallmer, for the opportunity to testify… Read more

Washington, DC – As U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk participates in the 2009 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum’s (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Singapore on July 21 and 22, two House APEC Caucus leaders commented on the importance of the Asia-Pacific region and APEC to the United States and urged the Obama Administration to move ahead with the Trans-Pacific… Read more

Thank you, Chairman Levin. Policymakers should have access to the views of stakeholders on all sides of trade issues.  The critical question is: How best can we allow everyone to have a voice while still maintaining the effectiveness and flexibility of the information flow?  I’m eager to hear testimony on this key point. Without question, the private sector and the Administration… Read more