THE DAILY WHIP: FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

Daily Leader

For Immediate Release:

2015-06-12T00:00:00

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House Meets At:	First Vote Predicted:	Last Vote Predicted:
9:00 a.m.: Legislative Business Five “One Minutes”	11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

Concur in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314 –Trade Act of 2015 (Rep. Ryan (WI) – Ways & Means) (One Hour of Debate). This bill would provide extensions for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The bill would extend TAA for six years, generally expanding the scope of the program from its current parameters to those put in place in the 2011 reauthorization. While it only provides $450 million per year for training (short of the $575 million per year provided by 2011’s extension), the Department of Labor has stated that these funding levels are sufficient.

The bill would also extend TPA “fast track” authority for six years. It includes instructions and a series of negotiating objectives for the President to achieve in negotiating trade agreements, as well as a series of requirements for consultation with the Congress and the public and also provides procedures for congressional consideration of legislation to implement agreements reached under TPA.

The Rule, which was adopted yesterday, divides the question on adoption of the motion as follows: (1) concurring in Section 212 of the Senate Amendment (relating to Medicare sequester); (2) concurring in the matter comprising the remainder of Title II of the Senate Amendment (TAA); and (3) concurring in the matter preceding Title II of the Senate amendment (TPA). The rule states that the first portion of the divided question shall be considered as adopted. It further provides that if either remaining portion of the divided question (TAA or TPA) fails, then the House shall be considered to have made no disposition of the Senate Amendment.

Bill Text for the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314:
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Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendments with an Amendment to H.R. 644 – Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (Rep. Ryan (WI) – Ways & Means) (One Hour of Debate). The Senate version of H.R. 644 facilitates trade by modernizing certain Customs operations, tightens enforcement at the border and through our trade laws, adds new provisions to define currency manipulation as a trade subsidy subject to our countervailing duty laws, creates a new process for considering miscellaneous tariff bills, closes a loophole that currently allows imports of some products made by child or slave labor, and carries language opposing the movement to boycott, divest and sanction Israel.

The House amendment includes most of these provisions, but it excludes the currency manipulation language, has weaker enforcement language in some areas, and makes a number of changes to Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Specifically, it would modify TPA language excluding countries from being eligible for TPA “fast track” procedures if they are cited in the State Department Human Trafficking report. This would allow Malaysia, which was cited in the report, to be eligible under TPA, so long as the President certifies that it is taking “concrete steps” to improve. It would also add negotiating objectives to TPA, including 1) stating that that trade agreements should not change U.S. domestic law or create new obligations for the U.S. related to climate change and 2) stating that trade agreements should not change U.S. immigration law or require the issuance of certain visas.

The Rule, which was adopted yesterday, provides for one hour of debate.

Bill Text for the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 644:
PDF Version

The Daily Quote
“At an Ex-Im hearing before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, veteran congressman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) tried to talk sense into his hotheaded GOP colleagues — one of whom, committee chairman Jeb Hensarling (Tex.), has bottled up legislation renewing the bank. ‘Whether it is 14 days or 14 weeks or 14 months, this institution will be reauthorized,’ he said. ‘It may take a number…of occasions where U.S. companies lose business, substantial business around the world, to help us focus.’ Lucas pointed out that his colleagues’ ideological purity puts the United States in ‘a position of surrender’ with foreign competitors. ‘Do whatever you have to do, my friends, from your philosophical perspectives,’ he said. ‘But don’t in a competitive world say that we’re going to establish a principle so perfect, so idealistic, so philosophically straightforward that everyone else will flock to it. That’s not the way it works.’” - Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 6/3/2015

The Daily Quote

“At an Ex-Im hearing before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, veteran congressman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) tried to talk sense into his hotheaded GOP colleagues — one of whom, committee chairman Jeb Hensarling (Tex.), has bottled up legislation renewing the bank. ‘Whether it is 14 days or 14 weeks or 14 months, this institution will be reauthorized,’ he said. ‘It may take a number…of occasions where U.S. companies lose business, substantial business around the world, to help us focus.’ Lucas pointed out that his colleagues’ ideological purity puts the United States in ‘a position of surrender’ with foreign competitors. ‘Do whatever you have to do, my friends, from your philosophical perspectives,’ he said. ‘But don’t in a competitive world say that we’re going to establish a principle so perfect, so idealistic, so philosophically straightforward that everyone else will flock to it. That’s not the way it works.’”

- Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 6/3/2015