This Week in Congress
Both the House and Senate plan to finish all of their remaining business by the end of the week and to adjourn for the remainder of the year. The major goal for the week will be the passage of a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through the remainder of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2015. The Senate will also work to complete action on a defense authorization bill and a tax extenders bill that was passed by the House. Action on renewing government guarantees for terrorism-risk insurance also is expected by both the House and Senate. Read more... |
Port Chiefs Call on President Obama to Push for Deal in Labor Negotiations
Last week, the heads of the two largest U.S. ports said it is time for President Obama to pressure the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to end the contract impasse that is crippling West Coast ports and threatening the nation’s economy. The ILWU and PMA would both have to request a federal mediator to get the process going, but the president could pressure them to seek one. Read more... |
Automakers Call for More Parts Testing During House Airbag Defects Hearing
On Dec. 3, the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade held a hearing investigating the issue of ruptured airbags from one supplier that have caused several injuries and deaths. Providing testimony at the hearing were executives from Takata, Honda, BMW, Toyota and the acting administrator of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Read more... |
Gas Tax Increase Gets Mixed Recognition from President Obama and Retiring Congressmen
On Oct. 3, both President Obama and retiring House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee chairman Tom Petri, Wis., announced support for raising the federal gas tax to help close the funding gap for transportation programs, but left mixed signals for the public. Read more... |
Transportation Research Study Says Current Funding System is “Clearly Not Working”
On Dec. 3, the Eno Center for Transportation, in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, released their report, How We Pay for Transportation: The Life and Death of the Highway Trust Fund. The report details how and why transportation funding in the United States has suffered over the years and what perspectives may need to change in order to fix it. Read more... |
President Obama Speaks Out on Trade Legislation
Last week, President Obama made his strongest pitch in nearly a year for Congress to approve legislation the White House needs to wrap up negotiations on two pending free trade agreements, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Obama also cautioned that winning approval of trade legislation will be tough because of opposition on both the right and left. Read more... |
Federal Trucking Agency Proposes Increasing Financial Coverage for Carriers, Brokers and Freight Forwarders
On Nov. 28, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) that seeks to increase the minimum levels of financial responsibility for motor carriers. The increases would adjust up the base amounts of liability insurance carriers must have for both bodily injury and damage to property in the event of a crash. The rule would also extend coverage requirements to all for-hire motor carriers of both property and passengers. Read more... |
President Obama Candidly Invites Business Leaders to Help Craft Regulation Alternatives
During a speech to the Business Roundtable (BRT) on Dec. 3, President Obama followed up a question from the audience with an invitation to “…show us that something is counterproductive and doesn’t work, or there’s a smarter way of meeting the goal, we will embrace it, happily.” Read more... |
Chamber Gears Up for Regulatory Reform in New Congress
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Thomas J. Donohue, delivered a speech to members on Dec. 2, emphasizing the urgent need for regulatory reform and suggesting that we can turn things around “by insisting on good government that is accountable, transparent and efficient… and by truly balancing the costs and the benefits of proposed rules.” Read more... |
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