Due to the July 4 holiday, the Capital Report will not be published on July 7. The next issue will be distributed on Monday, July 14.
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This Week in Congress
Both the House and Senate are on recess this week for the July 4 holiday. Read more... |
West Coast Port Labor Negotiations Continue, CBP Issues Procedures for Possible Disruption
Business groups, including the Auto Care Association, are urging longshoremen and their employers to avoid a dispute that could cripple ports along the West Coast and affect billions of dollars in commerce. Negotiations began in May to replace a six-year pact between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents about 20,000 dock workers at 29 West Coast ports, that expires June 30. The ports account for about half of all U.S. maritime trade and more than 70 percent of imports from Asia. Read more... |
California Releases Proposed Brake Pad Regulations
The California Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC) released on June 20 “informal draft regulations” to help implement the Brake Friction Material Law. Effective on Jan. 1, 2014, the law requires that brakes have only minimal content of certain substances including asbestos. Beginning in 2021, the law mandates that brake pads limit content of copper to 5 percent and in 2025 to .5 percent. Read more... |
Auto Care Joins Letter to House Judiciary Committee on Sales Tax Fairness Bill
On June 23, the Auto Care Association joined a letter to the House Judiciary Committee supporting advancement of efforts to create parity between brick-and-mortar businesses and Internet sales by requiring both to charge sales and use taxes on transactions. The letter, spearheaded by the National Association of Wholesale Distributors, urges the House of Representatives to move forward with the Marketplace Fairness Act, or introduce similar legislation. Read more... |
White House, Business Groups Press for Renewal of Export-Import Bank
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the majority leader-elect of the House, appeared to widen a division within the Republican Party last week when he said during a television interview that he would be willing to let the authorization for the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank expire in September. McCarthy said in a Fox News interview that the private sector is capable and better suited to fill the potential void that would come with the expiration of the bank's charter on Sept. 30. House Republicans are split on the issue, with current House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., supporting the reauthorization of the bank. Read more... |
Supreme Court Rules Against President’s NLRB Recess Appointments
The Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 26 that President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) were unconstitutional and therefore invalid. The Auto Care Association, as a member of the Coalition for Democratic Workplace (CDW), was part of an Amicus Curiae brief (friend of the court) filed in November of last year in support of the case to overturn the appointments. Read more... |
IRS Releases Final Rule for Small Business Tax Credit in the Affordable Care Act
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the Final Rule on June 30 that governs the tax credit for small businesses offering health insurance benefits to their employees, extending it to those with 25 or fewer full-time employees (FTEs). The Final Rule largely follows the Proposed Rule released on Aug. 26, 2013, and includes these changes: Read more... |
House GM Hearing Raises Recall Reform Questions
On June 18, the House Committee on Energy & Commerce subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held another in a series of hearings seeking to address the GM ignition switch recall situation. During the hearing, several of the members of the committee raised questions regarding the company’s adherence with the Transportation Recall, Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act. The questions indicated an interest by some members of Congress to consider further legislation to enhance recall requirements for automotive manufacturers and parts makers. Read more... |
U.S. and Canada Reach Agreement on Easing In-Transit Truck Shipments
On June 20, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced an agreement to harmonize data to ease the movement of Canadian trucks into the U.S. for in-transit shipments. The automation of a common data set for shippers will be implemented through the Integrated Cargo Security Strategy and is intended to increase efficiency for shippers in both countries. Read more... |
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