Several trade bills have already been introduced this congressional session. All can be found on the Thomas web page (thomas.loc.gov).
House:
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and 32 others
To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to establish a transitional adjustment assistance program for workers to adversely affected by reason of the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of China (HR 457), referred to Ways and Means.
Lynn Rivers (D-MI)
To assess the impact of NAFTA on domestic job loss and the environment (HR 473), referred to Ways and Means.
Ralph Regula (R-OH)
To amend Section 201 of the Trade Act by making it easier to reach a positive injury finding (HR 518). Instead of imports having to be a "substantial" cause of injury under the statute, this bill says that imports shall be considered a "cause of serious injury or the threat thereof if a causal
link is established between imports and injury to the domestic industry." It also calls for a steel import permit and monitoring program. It was referred to Ways and Means.
James Traficant (D-OH)
To amend the Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee Act of 1999 to provide for increased loan guarantees for steel companies (HR 520), referred to Financial Services.
James Traficant (D-OH) and ten co-sponsors
Calling on the president to take all necessary measures to respond to the surge of steel imports resulting from financial crises in Asia, Russia and other regions (HRes 16), referred to Ways and Means.
Senate:
Phil Gramm (R-TX)
To amend the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to extend trade negotiating and trade agreement implementing (fast track) authority to the president (S 136), referred to Finance.
Phil Gramm (R-TX)
To authorize negotiation of free trade agreements with countries of the Americas (S 137), referred to Finance.
Phil Gramm (R-TX)
To authorize negotiation for the accession of Chile to the NAFTA (S 138), referred to Finance.
Phil Gramm (R-TX)
To authorize negotiation for the accession of the UK to the NAFTA (S 140), referred to Finance.
Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
To establish the position of Assistant USTR for Small Business (S 187), referred to Budget and Governmental Affairs.
Max Baucus (D-MT)
To establish a Congressional Trade Office (S 274), referred to Finance.
New Steel Caucus Chairman
Congressman Jack Quinn (R-NY) was selected as the Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, replacing Ralph Regula (R-OH) who decided to step down this year. Representative Peter Visclosky (D-IN) will replace John Murtha (D-PA) as Vice Chairman. In the 106th Congress, Quinn was the lead Republican
co-sponsor of the steel quota legislation (HR 975).
The Senate Caucus leadership consisting of Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively, has not changed this year.
OSHA Introduces New Poster
OSHA introduced a new workplace poster for informing workers of their rights to a safe workplace. The posters are free and may be downloaded from the OSHA web site. Employers are not obliged to replace the posters they already have, but they are required to post an OSHA notice of employee rights in a prominent location. The new poster tells workers in plain language that they have the right to a safe workplace, how they may file a complaint, report an emergency, or seek OSHA advice. To get copies of the poster: download from the web site at osha.gov; write the OSHA publications office, Room N3101, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210; or call any OSHA office.
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