Due to the congressional recess, the Capital Report will not be distributed next week. The next issue will be published on April 13.
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This Week in Congress
Both the House and Senate are out on recess for the next two weeks. They will be returning the week of April 12. Read more... |
Automakers Exceed Fuel Economy Goals for MY 2013
For the second year in a row, automakers surpassed their government-sanctioned gas mileage goals, according to a report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They were successful in beating the national greenhouse gas emissions standard by 12 grams per mile, or 1.4 mpg. Average miles per gallon (mpg) for model year 2013 vehicles sold in the U.S. increased by 0.5 mpg over 2012 to reach 24.1 mpg, the industry’s highest average ever. Read more... |
Bill Introduced to Strengthen Dumping, Countervailing Duty Laws
On March 26, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, reintroduced a trade enforcement measure aimed at helping U.S. firms get relief from unfairly traded imports. Read more... |
Former Commerce Secretaries Urge Action on Trade Promotion Authority Legislation
On March 25, 10 former secretaries of commerce urged congressional action on trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation that provides for up-or-down congressional consideration of trade agreements. In an open letter released by the Commerce Department, the 10 former commerce secretaries, whose tenures date to 1972, said that the legislation, which has not yet been introduced, is necessary for Congress to help set U.S. negotiating objectives and to strengthen the hands of U.S. negotiators. Read more... |
Internet of Things Continues to Capture Congressional Attention
On March 24, the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing titled, “The Internet of Things: Exploring the Next Technology Frontier,” mirroring the Senate hearing held previously. Chaired by Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, the hearing allowed for tech industry testimony regarding the growth of connected devices and how to better serve the public through such innovation. Read more... |
Senate Passes Budget Amendment for Full Repeal of Estate Tax
On March 26, Senator John Thune, R-S.D., introduced an amendment to the Senate Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Resolution to fully repeal the estate tax, which then passed the Senate on a vote of 54-46. The amendment vote does not guarantee passage but will pave the way for the possibility of permanent repeal in the appropriations process. The senator also introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 the day before, which mirrors the House bill introduced by Representative Kevin Brady, R-Texas, in the 114th Congress. Read more... |
EPA Analysis Claims Paint Stripper Poses Health Risks to Workers and Consumers
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final analysis on March 23 stating that paint and coating strippers containing n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) may harm the health of people, particularly unborn babies. Paint and coating strippers using NMP can be found in the automotive refinishing industry, among others. Chemical manufacturers reported making or importing 184.7 million pounds of NMP in 2011, according to information submitted to EPA under the Chemical Data Reporting rule. Read more... |
Senate Committee Approves Driver Data Privacy Bill
On March 25, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee passed S. 766, the “Driver Privacy Act of 2015,” that would protect the privacy of driver data coming from the vehicle event data recorder (EDR). EDRs, commonly referred to as the “black box,” record basic vehicle function information, like speed, but are not as inclusive as a vehicle’s telematics system data collection. Read more... |
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