Background:  “In his new book, Positively American: Winning Back the American Middle Class One Family at a Time, Senator Charles Schumer reveals the imaginary constituents that have long informed his political career: Joe and Eileen Bailey. The Baileys live in a suburb of Long Island with their three kids, they both work, and they earn about $75,000 annually….Schumer says that the… Read more

Washington, DC – Late Friday night, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of the national energy taxes imposed on American families under the Waxman-Markey “cap-and-trade” scheme.  This analysis shows average American households would pay $770 more per year, with costs reaching as high as $1,380 per year.  While CBO also attempted to estimate the impact of the… Read more

Today, Democrats voted against an amendment that would have directed the Department of Commerce to study the impact on American jobs of not passing the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.  Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Dave Camp responded, “If Democrats really think that this agreement will cost us American jobs, then they should embrace an analysis conducted by the Obama… Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Kevin Brady, Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Trade Subcommittee, issued the following statement in response to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) announcement that the United States will continue the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations: “I congratulate USTR for moving forward with the ACTA negotiations,… Read more

Washington, DC – Responding to proposed electricity rate increases in North Carolina, Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today questioned how many other power companies across the nation were considering increasing rates in anticipation of the requirements of H.R. 2454, the national energy tax created under the Waxman-Markey “cap and trade” bill.   “The bill hasn’t even… Read more

I strongly oppose H.R. 1886, in particular, language inserted at the Rules Committee to create a new but poorly designed trade preference program for Afghanistan and Pakistan.  While I would support a well-designed program to create jobs and spur economic development, this legislation is deeply flawed.    First, it brings virtually no economic benefit because the product mix is stingy… Read more

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to note a disturbing message that this vote sends about the priorities of the Majority when it comes to international trade:  they are happy to schedule votes on one-way preferences that open the U.S. market to more imports but refuse to vote on agreements that open markets to exports of American-made products and create good paying jobs for American… Read more

Washington, DC – Today, every Republican Member of the Ways and Means Committee signed a petition and letter led by Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI).  They request that Ways and Means Committee Democrats join Republicans to assert the Committee's jurisdiction on H.R. 2454, which imposes a national energy tax paid by every American under a "cap and trade" scheme. The petition, if signed by… Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Kevin Brady, Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Trade Subcommittee, issued the following statement regarding the Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act (H.R. 1886):   “While I commend the idea of encouraging trade and investment in the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan region, I have serious concerns that this bill fails to… Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The following statement was issued by Kevin Brady (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Trade Subcommittee, in response to news of the U.S. victory in the NAFTA investment case filed by Glamis Gold Ltd: "The State Department’s complete victory in the Glamis Gold case shows us once again that those who oppose trade and foreign investment are on the wrong… Read more