On The Hill

No Tariff Relief for China   As the coronavirus continues to halt the global economy, President Trump indicated on Wednesday (Mar. 18) that he has no plans to suspend tariffs on more than $350 billion of Chinese goods.    More than 160 companies sent the president a letter to “provide tariff relief as one of…

Coronavirus   Earlier this week, President Trump signed HR 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, (Phase II of efforts to combat the Coronavirus), into law.   A link to a section-by-section summary of HR 6201 can be found here.     Stage 3 Stimulus Plan   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the Coronavirus…

Senate Begins Work on “Phase 3” of COVID-19 Economic Stimulus   On Thursday (Mar. 19), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released the text of the Senate’s recommended tax policies for ‘Phase 3’ of the coronavirus economic impact congressional response. Highlights of the package include: recovery checks of up to $1,200 for qualified taxpayers;…

Washington State Lawmakers Repeal Boeing Tax Break   On Thursday (Mar. 12), the Washington State Senate approved a bill eliminating a tax break for Boeing that has been ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization (WTO), stemming from the Boeing-Airbus dispute. Governor Jay Inslee (D) is expected to sign the legislation.   “Today’s repeal by…

Oil Crash   Oil prices plunged this week due to the fall-out between Saudi Arabia, Russia, and OPEC. The lack of an agreement plus the shock of the coronavirus epidemic has squeezed the oil industry, who currently have fewer tools to help recover than they have had in the past.   The U.S. Energy Information…

As the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the Coronavirus outbreak as a global pandemic, lawmakers on Capitol Hill remain in Washington in an attempt to secure a large emergency bill that would include provisions such as guaranteed food access, affordable testing, and paid time off for those impacted by the virus. As of early…

Bipartisan Senate Energy Package Released   On Thursday (Feb. 27), Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) released their energy bill that repackages multiple existing proposals on issues including energy efficiency, carbon capture, nuclear, and energy storage.   “What we have focused on is a recognition that the technology and the innovation that drives…

The Coronavirus continues to dominate the headlines nationally and on Capitol Hill as HHS Secretary Alex Azar faced many questions about the administration’s plan of action, including its $2.5 billion supplemental budget request. Azar’s appearance before four congressional committees this week on HHS’ FY 2021 budget also brought up issues such as drug pricing, insulin…

Proposed Legislation   H.R. 5837, the Investing in Your Family’s Future Act, introduced by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), would allow for child care payments to be treated as elective deferrals for purposes of employer matching contributions. This legislation has been endorsed by the Bipartisan Policy Center and is co-sponsored by Rep. Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY).   H.R.…

USITC Rules No Injury in FSS Case   On Tuesday (Feb. 25), the U.S. International Trade Commission determined that U.S. industry was not materially injured or threatened with material injury from imports of fabricated structural steel (FSS) from Canada, China, and Mexico.   Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Jason E. Kearns and Randolph J.…