Due to summer recess, the Capital Report will not be published next week. The next issue will be distributed on Aug. 11.
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This Week in Congress
Floor Schedule: The Senate plans to vote on an extension of transportation infrastructure and transit funding through May of 2015. The Senate also may take up a supplemental funding measure to handle the influx of migrant children along the southern U.S. border. The House is likely to consider a measure to address issues related to the Endangered Species Act. Read more... |
Auto Care Association Government Affairs Team Unveils New Grassroots Survey
On July 23, the Auto Care Association government affairs department deployed a survey to its entire U.S. membership in order to obtain feedback on a wide array of grassroots advocacy topics. The primary purpose of the survey is two-fold: identify key member-legislator relationships and discover auto care professionals willing to assist us in our advocacy efforts. Read more... |
Ways and Means Republicans Insist on TPA Prior to Administration Concluding TPP Talks
In a July 17 letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, House Ways and Means Committee Republicans said that Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) must be enacted before the Obama administration concludes the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks with 11 other Pacific Rim countries. TPA, which is embodied in the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act (S. 1900, H.R. 3830), would set congressional objectives for trade agreements in exchange for a streamlined approval process of legislation that would implement a given trade agreement. The process would stipulate strict timelines for votes that cannot be subject to amendments. Read more... |
West Coast Port Labor Talks Resume
Following a recess for a previously scheduled longshore division caucus, contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) over a labor agreement for west coast ports resumed on July 23. A joint ILWU-PMA statement said the previous contract, which expired July 1, would not be extended while negotiations are recessed. However, the union and employers said, “While there is no contract extension in place, both parties have pledged to keep cargo moving.” Read more... |
USITC Votes to Advance Probes on Allegedly Unfairly Traded Tires from China
On July 22, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) determined in a 6-0 ruling that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of certain passenger vehicle and light truck tires from China. The petitions filed in the case contend that tires were subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value. Specifically, the petitions allege dumping margins as high as 87.99 percent and prompted the Commerce Department to launch an investigation on 39 separate subsidies available to tire producers in China. Read more... |
NLRB Confirms First “Micro” Union in Retail
On July 23, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) confirmed a ruling issued by a regional director in a case against Macy’s department store. The regional director had approved the union’s proposed bargaining unit consisting solely of fragrance and cosmetic employees at the Saugus, Mass. Macy’s. This is the first time that the so called micro-bargaining unit, which was approved in the Specialty Healthcare case, has been applied in a retail store. Read more... |
China Said to Be Probing Foreign Automakers Over Spare Parts
China is examining whether foreign automakers are preventing their component suppliers from selling spare parts to any dealers outside of those authorized by the car companies. According to reports, the National Development and Reform Commission, China's economic planning body, is probing practices at Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen AG's Audi, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Japanese automakers to see whether prices of spare parts are being artificially boosted. Read more... |
U.S., Japan at “Difficult Stage” in TPP Auto Talks
Japanese TPP Ambassador Takeo Mori said last week that the U.S. and Japan are at a “difficult stage” in bilateral talks on trade in motor vehicles in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Mori said that while the two sides made a certain amount of progress, there were instances in the talks where the atmosphere became tense and negotiators found themselves in a difficult situation. Read more... |
NHTSA Proposes Changes to Tire Identification Number Regulations
On July 24, the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency (NHTSA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to increase Tire Identification Numbers (TIN) for new tire plants and manufacturers to a three symbol identifier from the current two, as well as standardize the length of a full TIN for all new and retread tires. Read more... |
California Alters Diesel Truck Grant Program for Smaller Fleets and Lighter Trucks
On July 24, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved amendments to the guidelines for the Carl Moyer Program that provides incentives to diesel truck owners to purchase new lower emissions vehicles or retrofit their existing trucks with new emissions mitigation technology. Read more... |
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